Turnabout Shinkansen
by Nr36
Summary: Phoenix never expected a bullet train to come roaring at him. Nor was he expecting that the safety of himself and others would be threatened by a madman who ruthlessly annihilates his victims. Will Wright and Co. be able to save Los Angeles before it's too late?
1. Brace for Impact

May 11, 9:34 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix picked up the TV remote and started flipping through channels.

Maya grumbled, "Niiick... can't you find anything on TV to watch? You've flipped through more channels than how old Ami Fey is!"

She ripped the remote from his grasp and went to Channel 0.

There was nothing but static on the TV, which was accompanied by the usual white noise associated with static.

Maya asked, "Nick, why is there nothing on Channel 0?"

Phoenix explained, "Because Channel 0 is an empty channel, and there is no signal, random pieces of data are picked up and put onto the channel as static."

Suddenly, the static was replaced by the NTSC color bars. A heading, which had the same text as a Closed Captioning bar, read: PLEASE STAND BY.

A news broadcast appeared. "Good morning. This is Channel 0. Today, Amtrak has been importing Japanese bullet trains for the use on its own lines, right here in America."

Maya gasped, "Really?! Since when could American rail lines support the immense speed of those things?"

The broadcast continued, "Three Japanese bullet trains are on special lines with low price fares right now. You can go from Los Angeles to Denver for a much lower price than airfare. Some people, however, dispute the safety of the bullet train."

Phoenix sighed, "They're called _bullet trains_ for a reason, everybody. They can kill people, just like bullets!"

Maya argued, "No, Nick! They're called that because they're fast! I mean, the average Shinkansen can travel pretty fast."

The attorney accepted her idea, as it was more plausible.

The news went on. "Also, the District Court of Los Angeles has renovated its 5th courtroom, which was damaged by an earthquake in 2001. Some people disagreed with the remodeling because it was the courtroom that Gregory Edgeworth stood in before he died later that day in what the police call 'The DL-6 Incident'."

Maya thought, "I'd like to see that courtroom. After all, I bet that there's some fancy technology in there!"

She tugged on Phoenix's suit.

"Nick, we should see that 5th courtroom! I bet that there's tons of people there!" The lawyer agreed and they set out.

May 11, 9:43 A.M. District Court, Courtroom No. 5

Phoenix walked inside the room, and found all of the new furnishings to be better than the old ones. The counsel desks where higher up and were larger than the previous ones. There was a projector in the room that displayed an image to the right of the witness stand.

It read: EVIDENCE DISPLAY.

Maya guessed, "I bet that there's where they display evidence, in case a lawyer needs to give the jury a graphic aid."

Edgeworth walked over to where Phoenix and Maya were standing.

He suggested, "Mr. Wright, have you ever thought of... well, this?" He displayed his wedding ring.

Maya gasped, "W-What?! I've never thought of marrying Nick!"

Phoenix screamed, "Objection! I have, at least!"

She yelled, "PHOENIX WRIGHT! IF YOU EVEN AS MENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF YOU AND ME GETTING MARRIED IN PUBLIC AGAIN, I WILL COMMAND PEARLY TO SLAP YOU SILLY!"

Phoenix felt a hand buffet his face. Blood started dripping from his nostrils, and a puddle of blood formed in his hands. He then looked behind him.

Pearl gasped, "Mystic Maya!"

Maya sighed, "Pearls, I thought I told you to slap him the _next_ time he does that."

She protested, "But you said to do it!"

Maya facepalmed herself rather loudly. Phoenix's nose bleed suddenly stopped.

He asked, "Edgeworth? Got tissues?"

Edgeworth wondered, "Why?"

The defense attorney replied, "Look at all of this blood in my hands!"

Edgeworth immediately complied and handed him a facial tissue, which Phoenix used to wipe the blood off of his hands.

When he handed Edgeworth back the tissue, a slight rumbling sound could be heard. Maya rubbed her abdominal area a little and started sweating.

"Yikes. That means I need more calories!"

The rumbling got louder and sounded like rolling thunder. Phoenix shouted, "I don't think that was your stomach, Maya!"

All of a sudden, there was the sound of a loud, blasting horn and a tremendous crash.

An enormous object tore a hole straight through the left side of the courtroom, near the prosecutor's counsel desk. Phoenix could barely see the word "Amtrak" on the front car.

He yelled, "It's a bullet train!"

The second car then entered, and violently exploded, sending shrapnel and a fireball down the hallway across from him.

The nearby cars that followed the second car burst into flames. People ran away from the wreck to escape the smoke. By now, the front car had driven a hole through the other end of the courtroom. Supports were cracking, stones were falling from the ceiling, and it looked horrific inside.

The back finally entered the courtroom, and it ignited. A puddle of diesel fuel and gas oil had formed on the ground, and it was burning very hot.

Phoenix screamed, "Maya! Are you okay?!"

There was no answer. He repeated, "Maya! Are you alive?!"

Still, nothing.

Phoenix took a deep breath and ran towards a wall, and pulled a fire extinguisher from the support. He plunged into the darkness, ready to find whatever was left of Maya Fey.

Whatever had happened to her, Pearl, Edgeworth, and many others, Phoenix knew that many lives would be changed forever, and that the District Court, and probably the city of Los Angeles, would never be the same again.


	2. The Raging Inferno

May 11, 10:00 A.M. District Court, Courtroom No. 5

As Phoenix plunged into the smoke and fire that lay ahead of him, he knew that he was probably not going to make it out in one piece, and if he was going to make it out in one piece, he would probably not be breathing, let alone living. He knew that he was no firefighter, and his mission could be terminated prematurely by a number of things.

For one, he could be standing next to a door, and someone could open it. A backdraft would then surge towards him, likely killing him. Phoenix then looked up. Even though it was black all around him, he could barely see that there was a hole in the center of the ceiling. About 66% of the ceiling had already collapsed.

Phoenix suddenly realized that shock from another train impact, a fuel explosion, or even an earthquake could cause the rest of the ceiling to collapse, and he could be trapped under a slab of concrete or stone for hours before firefighters could rescue him.

There was also two dangers that would be fatal. The first was that gas oil could be leaking from a car, but have not contacted the fire. The heat would likely cause the gas oil to turn into vapor, which could contact the fire and violently explode, demolishing the courtroom.

Also, Phoenix knew that the fire was expanding every minute. He knew that the rest of the room was very hot, and eventually, the air temperature of the air would be so high that it would reach flash point, and the whole courtroom would burst into flames. That would kill anyone inside instantly.

The attorney took a deep breath and ran. He found some civilians that were lying unconscious on the floor, most likely due to smoke inhalation. He aimed the fire extinguisher, and fired carbon dioxide snow onto them, preventing the fire from burning them.

He looked to his right, and found that most people on the right side on the courtroom were uninjured and were looking for a way out of the "room of death" that they were trapped in. Phoenix ran to the left side again, where the wreck was, and most of the injured people were.

After spraying the whole contents of his fire extinguisher on both the people and the bullet train, he got on his hands and knees. It was getting very hard to breathe due to the accumulation of smoke. He fumbled around, attempting to find Maya, but it was hindered due to the large amount of people on the floor.

He tried to look for the purple fabric of Maya's kimono, but it was no use, for the smoke was so think that Phoenix was blinded, and even if he had a fan on him, he would still have been unable to see clearly. As a last resort, Phoenix began to feel his way around using his fingers as a last ditch attempt to find her.

Suddenly, a hand touched him from behind.

He whirled around, and heard a weak voice say, "N-Nick... please save me..."

The attorney gasped, "That voice... MAYA!"

Phoenix grabbed a hold of her and rocketed out of the courtroom, which was now almost completely demolished.

As soon as he got a safe distance away from the courtroom, Phoenix took his fingers and lightly pressed them against Maya's neck. Although it was covered in soot, he was able to get a pulse reading. He found that she had minor burns on her arms, hands, and feet. Her sandals were missing, almost as if they had been vaporized by the fire.

Phoenix laid down next to Maya, and tickled her neck lightly.

He sighed, "Maya... it's gonna be okay..."

He then pressed his face against hers and closed his eyes. Phoenix felt so overjoyed that Maya was all right. He didn't know what he would do without her in his life.

Fire truck sirens could be heard in the distance, as could the sirens of ambulances and police cars.

Phoenix whispered, "Maya, don't forget that Pearl will be waiting for you when you wake up."

He lightly kissed her. However, upon the act commencing, there was a feeling inside of his that told him not to stop.

Phoenix thought that it was strange to kiss Maya for longer than 30 seconds, but he felt like it was all of his worries coming out of his body.

That moment, Maya awoke, and gasped. She motioned for him to end the kiss, but she felt that her jaw was locked tightly. She stopped resisting, and let the warm feelings of the kiss flow into her body. Maya was never so happy to see Nick in her entire life.

When the kiss finally ended, the two got up and searched the nearby terrain for Pearl and Edgeworth. From the distance, they heard a scream.

"MYSTIC MAYA! OVER HERE!"

Maya ran towards her cousin with lightning speed, and Phoenix trailed behind the best he could.

Edgeworth coughed, "W-Wright! You somehow managed to survive the impact! Good for you! I bet we'll have to watch the news tonight, for sure."

Maya sweated, "The news?! We just saw it for ourselves! And besides, they wouldn't figure out why a train crash happened in one day."

Pearl jumped into the air. "Mystic Maya! I saw you in the distance, and you and Mr. Nick were kissing!"

Maya snapped, "We were not kissing! Why would I do that in public, anyway?"

Pearl screamed, "Mr. Nick is your special someone! Why wouldn't you be in love with him?"

Maya sighed, "I guess you have a point."


	3. Slam Take Down

May 11, 1:23 P.M. District Court, Accident Scene

Detective Gumshoe had been placed on the case. He was sure that the derailment was an accident, and that he would easily pinpoint who had caused the accident. Phoenix watched as he examined the scene. Gumshoe immediately spotted a clue.

He said, "Dark marks on the tracks... That shows that the engineer attempted to stop before he hit the District Court."

There was a 15-foot tall hole straight through the wall of the courtroom, and Phoenix could tell that it has been damaged beyond repair, and that they would have to demolish the courtroom and rebuild it from scratch.

He asked, "Detective, how much would it cost to rebuild the courtroom?"

"I would estimate a total demolition and rebuilding to cost around 3.4 million dollars."

Maya gasped, "3.4 million?! The Wright and Co. Law Offices have only made 890,000 dollars in its entire existence, if you include when it was belonged to my sister! 3.4 millions dollars is a lot of money."

Suddenly, Detective Gumshoe's pager sounded. He felt for the bottom left pocket in his trenchcoat, and answered it.

It read: MEET OTHER OFFICERS AT CARROL RD. WE WILL GIVE YOU FURTHER DETAILS UPON YOUR ARRIVAL.

Gumshoe said, "I'll be back shortly. In the meantime, why don't you two do some investigating yourself?"

Pearl screamed, "That's a GREAT idea, Detective Dick! We'll help you find the culprit!"

Maya sighed, "It was simply a horrific train crash, Pearly. I doubt someone would intentionally crash a train into the District Court. It would be impossible to make it all line up."

Phoenix held up his phone and entered the Radio function.

Maya asked him, "What are you going to tune to?"

The lawyer replied, "Amtrak control."

He tuned the frequency to VHF. A computerized voice announced, "You are listening to Amtrak control serving the Los Angeles area, transmitting on 135.66 megahertz."

He heard a conversation occurring.

He heard a voice say, "Mr. Klein, could you enter my office for a moment?"

Phoenix heard the door shut and another man talk.

"Mr. Klein, you were on duty earlier today from 4:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. Is that correct, sir?"

"Yes, Director."

"Did you know that one of our special bullet trains crashed today?"

"Director, I was unaware of that. Could you please describe the crash?"

"It was a derailment of Train #6667S. It brutally crashed into the District Court's 5th courtroom. Do you know when it crashed into the courtroom?"

"No, sir. I don't."

"It crashed while you were on duty and were supposed to be running the track switches!"

"Sir!"

"Don't 'sir' me, Randall! You caused the deaths of hundreds!"

"I didn't intend to!"

"Do you think that I would allow a mass murderer to run my trains, full of passengers, across routes on my railway?"

"Director, it's not your..."

"It is my railway, you blithering idiot! You are causing mass confusion and delay! You are disposing of my customers, and of my money!"

"Like the saying goes, 'money makes the world go 'round."

"No shit! And do you believe that I would allow you to remain a part of my company?"

"Uh..."

"No! Guess what, Randall? You just can't be a part of my company no more! Guess why."

"Because I can't run my lines responsibly."

"BINGO! And you know what that means, Randall?"

"What?"

"YOU'RE FUCKING FIRED! GET OUT OF MY OFFICE, AND DON'T DARE STAND IN THIS BUILDING, AT MY FRONT DOOR, OR EVEN DARE TO RIDE ON MY RAILWAY AGAIN!"

Phoenix shut his phone off. Maya asked, "Nick, what's the long face about?"

He guessed, "I don't know. I bet it's just because of this incident."

But secretly, Maya knew that her boyfriend was obviously holding his feelings back. She knew that it would only be a short time before his thoughts would be revealed...


	4. Phoenix Wright, Attorney For Hire

May 11, 3:34 P.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix slumped down at his computer. He nervously moved the mouse towards the search bar, and typed in "2013 Los Angeles Train Derailment".

He hit enter, and looked away from the screen, shaking and sweating like a a dog on an airplane.

The first new article that popped up in the results read, "Heavy Casualties Reported in Bullet Train Crash".

The attorney took a breath and scrolled the page down using the scroll wheel on the mouse. The second article blared, "Signalman Arrested Following Tragic Train Derailment".

The slight sense of order disappeared in Phoenix's mind. He clicked on the article, and read it.

"Amtrak signalman Randall Klein was arrested by police today after it was determined that the bullet train that had crashed into the District Court of Los Angeles earlier that day had been directed improperly. It is believed that the train was at normal speed, and was diverted into a dead end, which caused a violent derailment.

Klein was approached at his residence by multiple police officers shortly after his employment was terminated by Amtrak's Director of Locomotive Safety, Peter Welsh. The officers arrived at his door, armed with pistols. After he was arrested, he was detained at the Los Angeles Detention Center, where he was questioned.

'Mr. Klein was surprised about the arrest,' says Officer Mike Meekins. 'I was surprised that he made no attempts to resist, sir!'

Officer Meekins later questioned him for 2 hours, attempting to get a confession out of him, but just could not convince him to come clean to him.  
Klein is being tried for third-degree murder. He stated that he will testify in his own defense, and will clear his name, despite not having an attorney."

Phoenix clicked out of the browser window and shut down the computer. He walked into the back room and shut the door. The lawyer was distraught. He didn't know what to do. He almost felt like defending him in court, but also felt like he shouldn't, and that he was actually guilty.

Maya slowly opened the door. She asked, "N-Nick?"

Phoenix answered, "Yes?"

"Nick, why do you look like you got attacked by a turkey?"

He replied, "To tell you the truth... I was listening to the Amtrak control, and they fired a signalman because he was on duty when the crash occurred. Later, the police arrested him and charged him, and he's going on trial later!"

Maya's jaw dropped to the floor. "No way."

The attorney groaned, "Yes way! He doesn't have an attorney!"

Maya suggested, "Maybe we should..."

"Defend him in court? Just like we always do? Be the hero, like always? And somehow magically find the real culprit out of no where?"

"Of course, Nick! Let's go down to the Detention Center! Now let's go there before he gets one of those state attorneys!"

May 11, 4:00 P.M. Detention Center

Phoenix sat down and waited for the window shield to be raised. When it did, he saw a very odd sight. He saw Officer Meekins in the room with Randall, and he was questioning him and screaming like someone had scalped him.

"When did you hear about the crash, Mr. Klein?"

Randall sweated, "Uh... when the Director of Safety told me?"

Meekins raised his megaphone and screamed, "OH REALLY?! IS THAT THE CASE, MR. KLEIN?" Randall's eyes were slammed to the back of their sockets.

"Y-Yes, Officer..."

Phoenix yelled, "Hold it!"

Meekins leaped into the air.

The attorney inquired, "Officer Meekins... what do you think you're doing?"

The policeman answered, "Can't you see what I'm doing, Mr. Wright?"

He used the megaphone again. "I'M TRYING TO GET A CONFESSION OUT OF HIM!"

"Officer, you may not necessarily get a confession out of him. Plus, why are you questioning him inside the visitation area?"

"Well, you see... I guess you're right. I will leave this instant, sir!"

The manic policeman ran out of the room, seemingly more confused than ever.

"Mr. Klein, I bet you know who I am, don't you?"

Randall answered, "Yeah! You're that famous attorney, Phoenix Wright! I've heard about you from all over the place!"

"Mr. Klein, I am approaching you today with an offer. You know that your chance of being found Not Guilty is bleak without a real attorney. Would you prefer that I represent you in court, rather than allowing one of those state attorneys to?"

"Of course! You're a rather good lawyer, Mr. Wright!"

Maya sighed, "Oh, boy. Why does everybody want a lawyer like you, Nick?"

"Because I'm an ace attorney!"

The three of them laughed.


	5. Insanity to the Moderate Level

May 11, 5:46 P.M. District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 3

Phoenix asked, "Randall, do you assure me that you did not commit this crime? Are you actually in need of me, or are you trying to get let off of the hook?"

Klein yelled, "OF COURSE NOT! Why would I waste your time like this? Do I look like a person who would waste your time?"

The attorney sighed, "No."

Suddenly, Pearl jumped up behind them.

She asked, "Mr. Nick, what is the charge this time?"

Phoenix shook his head. "Third-degree murder."

Pearl gasped, "Oh, you're in for it now, Mr. Defendant! What did you think that you were doing?"

Maya grabbed Pearl by her arms. "Pearly! That guy is innocent! He didn't do anything!"

The 8-year-old protested, "He looks guilty! Ever since that de Killer guy kidnapped you, I am on the alert for men with black hair who are on trial."

Maya facepalmed herself.

"Pearls, not all guys with black hair are assassins who kidnap Fey women and kill celebrities for a living! You need to use common sense!"

Phoenix felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a familiar face.

He yelled, "Armando?"

Diego's faceplate turned maroon, possibly indicating the emotion of disgust,

"Mr. Trite... er, Wright, it seems that you have identified me. Now, you may think that I am mental, but the prison released me."

Maya's irises appeared to turn red for a second. "What the?! How did you convince them to let you go free?"

"They looked through my records. Found that I was mentally insane, and had killed your mother because of them."

Phoenix sighed, "Let me guess... I have to go up against you in court... again?!"

The former defense attorney certified, "Yep. Let's see if you are as good as you were the last time I went up against you..."

May 11, 6:00 P.M. District Court, Courtroom No. 7

The courtroom was filled with a massive jury, and there were 7 news cameras rolling, broadcasting the trial on live TV. Phoenix felt a slight sense of nervousness enter himself as the judge entered the room. The crowd of reporters exploded towards him.

One man asked, "Your Honor, do you believe that this case will be short, or do you think it will be complicated?"

The judge replied, "If you really want to find out, sit back, relax, and observe this trial!"

Randall tapped Phoenix on the shoulder. He asked, "Mr. Wright, are the trials you are in usually this crowded with reporters?"

The attorney answered, "Not usually. But I guess this train incident has reached national news, since I can see the CNN logo on the main camera."

The judge, now seated, looked somewhat angrily at the 13 reporters at the back of the room, and raised his gavel slowly. It came down with a crash.

He said, "The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Randall Klein."

Diego Armando scratched his head and dictated, "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."

Phoenix, as usual, stood up and addressed the judge. "The defense is ready, Your Honor."

The judge inquired, "How is the defendant pleading?"

Randall stood up and answered, "Not Guilty."

The jury gasped in shock and disbelief. The reporters focused their cameras on the judge, as he banged his gavel three times.

"Order! Order in the court! Mr. Armando, would you please give your opening statement?"

Diego was in the middle of drinking one of his blends of coffee when the judge's order came in. He slammed the cup down on the counsel bench.

"Your Honor, Randall Klein is most obviously Guilty of third-degree murder due to his negligence. Because he did not move the track switch, it caused a derailment, and the massive accident that followed."

The judge then ordered, "Mr. Armando, you may call your first witness."

He replied, "Your Honor, the prosecution calls Officer Mike Meekins to the stand. He was the police officer that arrested the defendant."

The judge banged his gavel. "Officer Meekins, I would enjoy it if you could act semi-normal on the stand this evening."

Meekins raised his megaphone and screamed, "ARE YOU SAYING THAT I AM MANIACAL, YOUR HONOR? IS THAT THE CASE? IS THAT WHY YOU ARE TELLING ME TO REMAIN CALM?!"

The judge sighed, "Officer, I would also prefer it if you would lower the decibel level. You don't need to amplify your points to prove them."

Officer Meekins began his testimony. "I was outside of the defendant's home, sir, and I walked up to his door. I opened the door and told him to come outside. He was shaking and worried, and I told him the he was to put his hands behind his back. I told him that he was under arrest, read him the Miranda warning, put him in my police car, and drove him to the Detention Center."

The judge asked, "What happened then?"

"I took him inside, where I proceeded to question him for several hours, sir. But he wouldn't give a confession, so I put him into isolation. A few hours later, I questioned him some more, but then Mr. Wright entered the area, so I left and headed back to the precinct."

Maya groaned, "Officer Meekins has risen the level of insanity in this room to the Moderate Level! This guy is waaay too big for his own britches!"

The judge nodded, "I see. That was a rather lengthy testimony. Mr. Wright, would you Cross-Examine this witness?"

Phoenix agreed, and Officer Meekins delivered his testimony again.

"I took him inside, where I proceeded to question him for several hours, sir. But he wouldn't give a confession, so I put him into isolation."

Phoenix screamed, "Objection!" and pointed his finger at Officer Meekins.

"Officer, you stated that you put Mr. Klein in isolation. Is that correct?"

He replied, "Of course, I did, sir!" Meekins rose the megaphone again. "WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT IT, SIR?"

The attorney slammed his hands down on the desk loudly. "Officer, when I walked in, you were screaming bloody murder at him! You were questioning him in an unauthorized area, so you were technically never questioning him at all! You were simply berating him for all of those inside the visiting area to see!"

Officer Meekins broke a sweat and hesitated slightly. "S-Sir! I-I didn't know where the questioning area was!"

Phoenix shook his head and grinned ear to ear, almost like Pearl does when she spots Maya and him making out in public.

He laughed, "You don't know where the questioning room is, Officer? It's in the back of the visiting area! You are supposed enter there to question people! All police officers should know that!"

The judge agreed. "The defense has a point, Officer. Why were you questioning him in an unauthorized area?"

Officer Meekins' knees appeared to snap. He fell down and smashed his head against the witness stand. "I-I got so carried away that I forgot where I was supposed to question him!"

The judge banged his gavel. "Officer, please get back up on your feet and give your testimony, please. We all make mistakes from time to time."

Meekins brushed himself off and said, "So maybe I forgot where I was supposed to question him, sir, but that doesn't mean that I was totally wrong! In fact, I asked him almost 156 questions in those 3 hours of questioning, and they all pointed to the fact that he was sandbagging me the whole time!"

The judge's eyes opened wide. "That is quite descriptive, Officer. Mr. Wright, you may Cross Examine the witness."

Meekins repeated, "So maybe I forgot where I was supposed to question him, sir, but that doesn't mean that I was totally wrong! In fact, I asked him almost 156 questions in those 3 hours of questioning, and they all pointed to the fact that he was sandbagging me the whole time!"

Phoenix screamed, "Objection!"

"Officer Meekins, how could you tell that he was 'sandbagging' you?"

He replied, "I swear it! I could tell that he was lying, sir!"

The lawyer sighed, "Officer, did you conduct a polygraph test?"

Meekins' face shrunk and wrinkled up.

"N-No..."

Phoenix yelled, "Then there's no evidence to prove that he's lying! He could be telling the truth!"

The judge banged his gavel. "Officer Meekins, it seems that you are unable to prove your testimony through evidence. You are dismissed from the stand."

Officer Meekins waved to the reporters as he came down from the stand, yelling, "I will prove that he's lying! I swear it! Just... not now..."


	6. Disorderly Conduct

May 11, 6:45 P.M. District Court, Courtroom No. 7

The judge said, "Mr. Armando, it seems that Officer Meekins was a rather strange witness for you to call. But anyways, this brings us to when you should call your second witness. Who is your second witness?"

Diego sighed, "Amtrak's Director of Locomotive Safety, Peter Welsh."

Welsh took the stand and was sworn in by the bailiff.

The judge asked, "Mr. Welsh, what is you date of birth?"

He answered, "September 30, 1996."

Maya gasped, "Nick! Can you believe it? This kid is 23, and he ensures the safety of high-speed locomotives!"

Phoenix groaned, "This goof is younger than Franziska!"

The judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Welsh, I have heard that you have some insight on Mr. Klein's termination of employment. Is that correct?"

Welsh's head turned and he said, "Yes. Would you like some testimony with that?"

The judge sighed, "Yes. We would enjoy it if we could hear your testimony."

Welsh explained, "So you see, that morning was normal, that was, until the little 'incident' occurred. I found out that Mr. Klein was on duty when the crash happened, so I brought him into my office, and I terminated his employment."

Diego asked, "Mr. Welsh, you are 23 years of age. Sir, are you unmarried?"

"Yes."

"Are you courting with a female at this time?"

Welsh asked, "What in the hell does that even mean?"

Diego sweated, "Are you dating a girl?!"

"Yes. Her name is Stacy Henderson. She likes me because I'm 'buffer' than all of the other guys." Welsh began to laugh hysterically. "Get it? Buffer?"

Phoenix smashed his head against the counsel bench. "This kid has a sense of humor that only he finds funny. Weird."

"So you ask, what does she mean by that I'm 'buffer'? She means that I'm... well, you know, buffer?"

All of a sudden, Maya began to laugh hysterically, as if she got the pun behind the statement.

Welsh screamed, "Who is laughing at me?"

Everybody in the room, including the reporters at the rear, froze.

He pointed his finger at Maya. "You! Yeah, you! The one with the smile on her face!"

Maya suddenly became intimidated by the man on the stand. Welsh yelled, "I swear to God... if I hear you even react to anything else I say, I'll grab you by your _yukata_ and..."

The judge smashed his gavel. "Order!"

Diego asked, "Mr. Welsh, what reason prompted you to fire Mr. Klein?"

"Well, if you really want to know, Prosecutor Faceplate, he killed nearly 300 of my customers, so I fired his ass!"

The judge banged his gavel three times.

"Order! Order in the court! Mr. Welsh, if you act in that manner once more, I'll hold you in contempt!"

Welsh blared, "Fine then! I'm off the stand!"

He stomped away in a huff. Diego got himself together and said, "Since the second witness has abandoned the stand, I will call the third witness, Detective Gumshoe."

When Detective Gumshoe took the stand, Phoenix thought, "The three witnesses of this trial are like the Three Stooges! They just can't seem to act right in court!"

The judge warned, "Detective, please be advised that you are on national TV, and this is being watched or recorded by mass numbers of people. Please act appropriately."

Gumshoe began his first testimony. "When I arrived at the scene of the crash, I immediately began an investigation. I saw that a strange, black area surrounded the tracks. That indicated that the train engineer attempted to stop before the collision occurred. In addition, the massive fire that happened in the courtroom post-impact was due to leaking diesel fuel and gas oil. Both liquids are used in the train's lubrication systems. We determined that the crash occurred due to human error."

Diego said, "Human error?! In specific, what type of human error?"

Gumshoe replied, "The failure of the defendant to switch the track at the correct time, resulting in a derailment."

The judge ordered, "Mr. Wright, you are now allowed to Cross-Examine Detective Gumshoe."

"When I arrived at the scene of the crash, I immediately began an investigation."

Phoenix yelled, "Hold it!"

"What type of investigation did you perform?"

Gumshoe replied, "The police department investigated it, Mr. Wright. What's wrong with that?"

The attorney smiled wide and pointed his finger. "All railroad crashes are supposed to be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, not the police department! That means that your investigation is unofficial, and can't be submitted as evidence!"

The judge agreed, "Detective, due to your report not being official, you lack the evidence to support your claim the the defendant is responsible. Therefore, you can't indict him until you have an official report. Now, could you give testimony about why the department didn't have the NTSB investigate?"

Gumshoe shook nervously. "The department wished not to get involved with the NTSB because it would cost too much money, and they believed that it was unnecessary to have the NTSB investigate. I did not know all this time that they were breaking the law."

The judge banged his gavel. "Court will reconvene at a later date, after the NTSB has investigated the accident. It may take weeks or days, though, so be prepared for a long wait. Court is adjourned!"


	7. Reflection

May 11, 7:34 P.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix walked inside, and instantly collapsed onto the couch, which was conveniently by. Maya walked in after him, and upon seeing his collapse onto the soft cushions, she walked behind him and asked, "Nick, do you want me to hang your sport coat for you?"

The lawyer sighed, "Of course, Maya."

She did just that, and sat next to him on the couch.

Phoenix groaned, "I don't understand it. I mean, why did I even get to represent him in court? This case would have been over if I would have stayed put!"

Maya yelled, "Nick! Don't think so negatively about it! Look at the bright side of things! After all, he isn't guilty!"

Phoenix slammed his hand on the arm of the couch. "He very well may be guilty! We just have to wait however long it takes for those Feds to investigate!"

Maya begged, "N-Nick, promise me that you won't complain like this all night... I really hate it to see you like this."

Phoenix wiped his forehead of what little sweat was left on it from the trial and agreed, "Maybe I should stop whining at get things done."

She suggested, "Nick, maybe we should get ready for bed."

He said, "Sure."

Phoenix knew that part of the law office had living space, which had been made by Mia so that she didn't have to rent an apartment. After her murder, Phoenix adapted the space to his specifications.

He walked into the bedroom and into the bathroom, and closed the door. Maya simply got in front of the television and began to watch the program that was on at the moment. She really didn't understand what it was about, but it appeared to be about a science teacher yelling at his students.

Phoenix dragged his fingers through his spiky hair, and thought, "What was I thinking when I became that guy's attorney?! Then again, he would be in jail right now if I hadn't intervened."

The lawyer took off his famous suit and got into more comfortable attire; specifically, a T-shirt and shorts, and exited into the bedroom.

He saw Maya sitting on the bed in a light blue, terrycloth robe, and she was drinking some sort of liquid from one of the office's coffee cups. Although Phoenix didn't want to admit it, to him, Maya looked very cute in light blue.

Phoenix asked, "What are you drinking, Maya?"

She replied, "Black tea."

He yelled, "Black tea?! Since when was it a good idea to drink a caffeinated beverage before bed?"

Maya gasped, "Nick! Tea makes me feel relaxed! Now let me have my tea, and we can go to bed!"

He sighed, "All right..."

She quickly drank her tea, placed the cup in the lobby, and hopped into the large bed in the center of the room, and Phoenix joined her shortly thereafter.

The attorney turned off the lights and said, "Good night, Maya."

He kissed her. She giggled, "Oh, Nick. You're so cute..."

Maya then ran her fingers through his hair and lightly kissed him. Both of them then fell back onto their pillows and fell asleep faster than you could say, "Mystic Maya! Did you just kiss Mr. Nick again?"


	8. Wake-Up Call

May 12, 5:30 A.M. Amtrak Station, Main Terminal

Detective Gumshoe followed several men into the terminal. They wore black trenchcoats with "NTSB" on the back in bold, yellow letters. The men were searching the tracks for possible tampering.

Gumshoe sighed, "There sure is a lot of people here for 5:30..."

Although the area they were in was marked off with INVESTIGATION IN PROGRESS: DO NOT CROSS tape, many passengers were passing by them for other terminals. There were so many people, in fact, that it almost felt like the bombing had never happened.

One of the investigators asked, "Ted, don't you get a... sort of... ominous feeling whenever you're investigating areas like this?"

Another man replied, "I sure do. It feels like there's something here that we don't know about."

One of the men took out a device similar to a multimeter and began searching the ground for loose wires.

He said, "These bullet trains are electric, and the cables run through the ground. A fault in the electrics may have caused the crash."

And yet another investigator was using a notepad to take notes on what the others were finding at the scene.

Gumshoe suggested, "Well, don't you think that it is a little odd that we are in the terminal, when the crash occurred about 45 miles away at the District Court?"

The man who has been called "Ted" about 30 seconds prior spoke up. "We've gotta eliminate all possibilities, no matter how unlikely."

"The crash could've been caused by error on part of the engineer, a terrorist bomb, or even a mechanical failure. We've just have to figure out what to rule out first, and that's hard enough, my friend. We can't jump to conclusions, pal."

Gumshoe gasped, "Hey! That was my line!"

At that point, Detective Gumshoe began wondering if the NTSB investigators were sane. He decided to figure out what other events might be going on around the station.

He asked, "I'm gonna go search the rest of the building for any possible leads." The other men granted his request.

Gumshoe walked near the escalators when he heard a scream from behind him.

"Detective Dick!"

His head turned, and he found Pearl was standing there next to Iris.

He asked, "Pearl, what are you doing with... her?"

She answered, "Where do you think I'm going?! I'm going to Hazakura Temple, Detective Dick!"

Iris groaned, "Can't we just get going? That train leaves in 23 minutes!"

Pearl sighed, "Fine! Let's go then!"

They walked away, almost with slight hesitation, and got on the escalator to the secondary terminal. He looked at the escalators briefly, and saw a large number of people on it.

He thought, "I wonder what's up there. There may be some clues up in the secondary terminal."

Gumshoe got on the escalator, and stood there. About halfway, he felt the stairs vibrate a little underneath his feet. He thought, "This escalator needs a little oil."

It wasn't even 3 seconds later that the stairs began to rumble and shake violently. He held onto the handrails and hoped that it would soon end. But it would only get worse. He looked up, and found that the other escalator was fine. He thought, "Something's up."

That instant, the escalator underneath him violently exploded. A fireball erupted from underneath him, and threw him into the air. Gumshoe was hurled down to the floor, and passed out. Meanwhile, the explosion wreaked havoc on the terminal. The fireball expanded rapidly and raced up the escalator and into the terminal, where thousands of people were standing.

When Gumshoe came to, he was stuck to the floor. He tried to get up, but he realized he couldn't when be saw the floor. It had been shattered and had buckled due to the detonation, and he knew that he had been effectively stabbed by the floor when he hit it.

He looked to an Amtrak sign above the escalator, and it was covered with blood. To his right, he saw a few people lying there, not moving. He thought, "They're dead!"

He reached for his radio, and coughed, "You guys... could you please get to the escalators, stat?" He breathed in deeply as he felt his eyelids close tightly.

May 12, 6:34 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix was awoken by a scream. "NIIIIICK!"

He jolted out of bed and rocketed into the lobby, where Maya was standing. Her eyes were red and she was breathing heavily.

He, at first, was in shock because she wasn't dressed. Maya didn't even have her _yukata_ on. All she had on was underwear and a bedsheet, which had been wrapped haphazardly around her chest and stomach.

Phoenix asked, "Maya! Do you have rabies?"

She barked, "Hell no!"

Phoenix asked, "What is it, then?"

"Listen, Nick... There's been a bombing at Amtrak Station!"

He yelled, "There was?!"

She yelled, "Yes, and Pearly and Sister Iris were in the terminal when the bomb went off!"

The attorney screamed, "W-What?!"

She covered her eyes. "Yes, unfortunately. They could be lying there... not moving... dead!"

Phoenix grabbed her right arm and pulled it towards him. He sighed, "Maya, we can't control when things like this happen. Iris and Pearls are all right... I think. Just calm down, and wait for the casualties count."

She said, "All right, Nicky poo..."

She had a little uncertainty in her voice.

Phoenix guessed, "They probably weren't even injured, Maya. If they got hurt, we'll find that out. If they do, then we'll go out for burgers."

She yelled, "Burgers?!" Her cheeks turned red.

He repeated, "Yes, of course!" A smile popped onto her face.

She yelled, "Okay! L-Let's just hope that you're right..."


	9. Kings Cross (x2)

May 12, 6:43 A.M. Amtrak Station, Explosion Area

Detective Gumshoe opened his eyes, and found that policemen, EMT's, and firefighters surrounded him. He saw one of the firefighters attempt to use a fire hose that was mounted inside of a cabinet nearby, but no water came out of it.

He said, "This line's dead."

Another firefighter yelled, "What?! The only reason that would occur was if... the water main was fractured!"

Gumshoe thought, "This fire could last for hours, or even days! i've gotta help someone, somehow!"

He raised himself off of the spikes that were on the floor. Upon inspecting himself, he found that several puncture wounds were present, and has tore through his trenchcoat and into his back, but the wounds were relatively shallow.

The other escalator had been stopped and could be used to access the people in the secondary terminal.

He asked a policeman, "Sir, I work for the police department. My name is..."

"Dick Gumshoe?"

He yelled, "Of course it is, pal! Now, is there a chance that I could, well, help out?"

The policeman said, "Sure. Here's a radio. Go up and survey the damage."

Gumshoe climbed up the escalator. Already, he could tell the the explosion had been massive. The walls has been covered with blood spatter and soot, and a horrific smell filled the air.

As he walked into the terminal, he saw dead bodies lying on the floor, intermingled with people who had dismembered limbs, and other people who were severely injured and lying there, moaning words the ranged from, "Mommy..." to "Help me..."

Further down the hallway, there were flash burns present on the walls, which had partially collapsed due to the explosion, and a fire was raging at the end of the hall, and was growing with intensity, but just shy of it, he saw a large, black object. It had a rectangular shape.

Trudging down the hallway, he grabbed onto the object and ran, hoping not to step on a body or another person. When he finally reached the bottom of the escalator, he set it down on the floor and examined the object. It had a matte black finish. Gumshoe saw the logos SONY and VIDEO CASSETTE RECORDER on it.

He wondered, "Why would someone leave a VCR sitting there?"

He pressed the eject button, and strangely, it ejected a tape. The tape did not have a name on it, so he assumed that it was a black VHS tape that had been inserted into the unit, but it would have to by played back to make sure it was indeed blank.

As he dug inside the "mouth", he felt an object stuck between two of the recording heads. He felt around for a bit and pulled it out. He gasped, "It's a letter!"

After opening it, he found a single sentence, written in blocky, all capital letters. The note read: AMTRAK CORP THIEVES: THIS IS FOR YOU.

Gumshoe thought, "Amtrak Corp. thieves? Since when? Who wrote this, anyway? It could've been a disgruntled employee, an angry customer, or even a Communist sympathizer!" A policeman reached over him and used a screwdriver to break into the housing of the VCR.

Upon penetrating the housing, Gumshoe found several sticks of dynamite inside, attached to a wrist watch, which acted as a detonator. He snipped the detonator wires and pulled out the dynamite carefully.

He noted to the policeman, "Take this dynamite to somewhere where they can safely detonate it. Tell them that there's a Mad Bomber on the loose."

Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him, and he turned his head. There, he saw Phoenix and Maya, who were standing there nervously.

Phoenix asked, "Detective, where's Pearl?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly don't know, pal. The paramedics may have her, though."

Upon walked over to the upstairs level, they found the paramedics, and raced to them, finding Pearl and Iris securely strapped down on stretchers. Maya examined Pearl, and was amazed. She lay upside down on the stretcher with severe burns. Her kimono had almost been completely burned off, with only a small amount still on her.

Her notable brown hair had been incinerated, and she was almost completely bald. The hair that saw left on her scalp was charred black. She placed her hand on her, only for no response.

Phoenix sighed, "They're unconscious. I wonder if they'll ever wake up from their comas."

He found Iris, and found most of her hair burned off as well, but her kimono was largely intact. It was when he rose her left hand when he almost passed out. She had 3 fingers that had been partially severed.

He walked back to Maya. She groaned under he breath, "Fucking sikkos..."

Phoenix asked, "What, Maya?"

She sighed, "I don't know why some man has to wake up every other day and decide to change the world with dynamite!"

The attorney agreed, "I don't know either. But I know that they are both OK, as is Gumshoe. I know it..."

Maya wondered, "Nick, you know, is there a chance that we could..."

"Eat burgers for lunch? Of course."

She sighed, "Thanks... Nick..."


	10. Cholesterol Rising

May 12, 10:34 A.M. Intensive Care Unit

Phoenix and Maya entered the room slowly, attempting not to be seen by the doctors that were hovering over where Pearl was. Maya found that she was still unconscious, and was covered with sterile bandages and dressings, most of which were around the areas of her body that had burns.

Iris had her left hand bandaged. She could tell that her fingers had been reattached, as the shape of a hand with five fingers, not two, could be seen in the bandage.

One of the doctors said, "Pearl and Iris were badly injured, but they're alive. We have healed them the best we could."

Phoenix added, "And lost hair is the least of their problems!"

The doctor explained, "Actually, we have placed a special enzyme treatment on their scalps, and that should cause their hair to regrow faster that if we let it grow back normally. I suggest that you two find something to do while the effects of anesthesia wear off."

Phoenix agreed, and he started to walk out of the room. Before they made it out of the door, however, Maya spotted an ice container that was open. Phoenix walked to it, and found blood on the ice inside.

He groaned, "That must've been where they place her... detached fingers... before they we reattached!"

Maya had seen enough, and both herself and Phoenix ventured into the nearby hallway.

She asked, "Nick... what about the burgers?"

He yelled, "Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that! Let's get some burgers, as long as you don't cause me to shelve out all of my money!"

Maya smiled wide and became rather excited the instant the syllable "burg" was followed by "ers". She almost chased him to the nearest location where burgers would be found. Phoenix looked at the hospital directory sign above him head, and it showed that there was a McDonald's approximately half a block from his current position, but it was on the top floor of the hospital.

He sighed, "There's always a McDonald's somewhere."

Phoenix took Maya into the elevator. She asked, "Nick, how far up are we going?"

Phoenix answered, "About 200 to 300 feet."

The doors shut, and the elevator rapidly accelerated upwards, almost at the speed of a rocket.

It took less than 10 seconds to get to the top floor. The door opened, and Maya said, "That was a short elevator ride."

They walked out and found the McDonald's, which was indicated by a large yellow "M". Phoenix found a location inside the contained area to sit down, and he handed Maya a decent sum of money.

She came back a few minutes later with two sacks. She handed one to Phoenix, much to his surprise.

He gasped, "Maya, why did you get me a burger?"

She replied, "Nick, doesn't everyone need a burger in their life sometime or another?" Phoenix said, "I suppose you have a point."

While they both quickly ingested the delectable creations that were in front of them, Maya looked up at the clock. The time was 10:56. She looked back down at Phoenix and continued to eat. It took no more that 3 minutes, and both of them were back in the intensive care unit waiting for Pearl and Iris to wake up.

Maya sighed, "Come on, Pearly! When will you get up from your coma?"

Before she could plead any more, she heard a few footsteps behind her. She turned her head and screamed, "Mr. Edgeworth! What are you doing here?"

He answered, "I heard about the bomb in Amtrak Station. I also heard recently that burgers have a high amount of cholesterol."

Maya screamed, "Mr. Edgeworth, are you trying to say that I'm fat?"

He sweated, "No! No! Of course, not! I was simply advising you that eating those burgers in excess can increase your risk of heart disease! By all means, I think you should start taking Lipitor."

Maya exploded, "I AM NOT 50, MR. EDGEWORTH! I DO NOT NEED A BETA BLOCKER!"

Edgeworth sneered, "Well, I'm not responsible you you suffer a massive heart attack!"

A voice exclaimed, "Stop it, you guys! I'm trying to get some peace and quiet!"

She turned her head and found that Iris had woken up.

Maya yelled, "Sister Iris! You're no longer a motionless body!"

Iris was also very happy to see Maya. She asked, "Mystic Maya, what occurred while I was unconscious?"

Phoenix said, "A bomb exploded behind you, and you and Pearl were taken here."

Maya added, "Speaking of Pearls... when do you think she will wake up?"

Everyone's eyes shifted to the left side of the room, focusing on a small, 10-year-old girl, covered in bandages and hooked up to a life support machine. Maya felt her legs fail on her, and she fell to the floor.

Maya wondered, "Pearls... when will you get up? Will you get up tomorrow, or the next day, or maybe even years from now? Maybe you'll never get up and we'll have to cut your life support!"

Phoenix screamed, "Maya!" She got out of her trance and got up.

"We don't want to hear you ranting and raving about your cousin!"

Maya sighed, "I'll quit it, Nick. But she's like a daughter to me, and I am really nervous if she'll ever wake up..."

Phoenix suggested, "I bet she'll get up today or tomorrow, and be the happy, bouncy, Pearl she normally is."

Maya sighed, "I hope you're right..."


	11. Insurance

May 12, 1:35 P.M. Intensive Care Unit

Maya stood over Pearl, who was still unconscious. She wondered if she would ever get out of her coma, or wether she would simply lie there until the doctors has to pull the plug on her life support machine. Even though it had only been 7 hours since the explosion, Maya was worried for her cousin.

She asked, "Nick, don't you think it's almost... cute when Pearl is asleep?"

Phoenix agreed, "Yes. You can even see that her hair is almost completely regrown."

Maya felt a surge of disgust enter her head. "Yeah. Cute, although her existence is for the sole purpose of effectively staging a _coup d'état_."

Phoenix played the scenario through his head. If Morgan had not been put in prison, Pearl would have continued to have been brainwashed until she would have believed that her mother was doing the right thing. Morgan would then have "eliminated" Maya for the pure purpose of putting Pearl as Master of Kurain in order to benefit her selfish desires.

He added, "Yep. It would have been a _coup d'état _indeed. The whole plan sounds to me like a sick, twisted version of _Super Mario Bros_. If it had played out the way Morgan would have intended, and the events were made into a video game, that game would be called _The Day Los Angeles Stood Still _or something."

Maya sighed, "But Pearly is understanding, and was pretty much being used by Morgan as a 'test subject' for her diabolical plans."

Before they could rant any more, they saw Pearl lift her head and open her eyes wide, wondering what the conversation was about.

Maya yelled, "Pearls!"

Pearl screamed, "Mystic Maya!"

After a short period of discussion with her, Phoenix got Pearl off of her hospital bed and signed the discharge papers. They then left for the safety (or perhaps even false safety) of the Wright and Co. Law Offices.

May 12, 2:12 P.M. Prosecutor's Offices, Conference Room

Lana Skye held a strange object above the whiteboard. "This object I have in my hand is a finger pointer. If you want to add a little humor to the court once in a while, when you scream, 'Objection!' and point your finger, use this instead to make a few giggles spread."

Miles Edgeworth was not amused. "Ms. Skye, I do not see why you have taken all of us prosecutors and sequestered us inside of this conference room on the second floor! I would like to know for what reason we are being held here, or I am leaving the room this instant!"

Lana explained, "Well, Detective Gumshoe told me that there is a Mad Bomber on the loose."

Edgeworth laughed, "The Mad Bomber? He died 25 years ago this very month!"

She yelled, "All right, people. Listen up! There's a Mad Bomber on the loose in Los Angeles. You've probably heard of the explosion at Amtrak Station, haven't you?"

The prosecutors looked at each other. They mumbled words from, "What?" to "Since when were train stations bombed?"

Franziska looked her Edgeworth, and shrugged her shoulders for the first time in 12 years. Lana continued, "I have supplied you all with surveillance cameras to out up at key locations that might be bombed. We need to catch this mad man in his own tracks."

She took the boxes, and laid them out to every person, and handed them a box cutter. Edgeworth felt distressed because he was going to have to install a camera someplace where he felt a bombing might occur. He didn't know a single place that was prone to bombings on the top of his head.

Suddenly, an idea came to his head. He said, "Franziska, should we take this camera and attach it to the Wright and Co. Law Office?"

She agreed, and he arrived at Phoenix's law office 3 minutes later. He took a screwdriver and carefully attached the camera to it.

Edgeworth thought, "As unlikely as it is for that Mad Bomber to strike a law office, it's better to be safe that sorry."

He then headed back to the prosecutor's office, ready for more Lana's lectures on public safety.


	12. The Chase Is On

May 12, 9:34 P.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Maya looked forward at the television. She asked, "Nick, do you think that we will be all right?"

Phoenix answered, "Of course, Maya. I doubt that we will be bombed here, at the law office."

Maya sighed, "But Nick! If you were a terrorist, and you hated the city of Los Angeles, where would you strike?"

"Uh... The Los Angeles Times building?"

She yelled, "No! You would strike so that the police would be overwhelmed, and that they could not predict when the next bomb would explode!"

Phoenix said, "Maya, relax. We don't need to worry that much. Before long, the whole case will be solved."

She agreed. Both her and Phoenix turned off the TV and fell asleep, but throughout the night, there came moments when both of them thought of the wrath of the Mad Bomber.

May 13, 8:34 A.M. Los Angeles Times Building, Teletype Room

The typers were hard at work, hoping to get their sections finished for the next day's issue. The room was filled with the sound of the computer keys being hit by people's fingers. A few NTSB investigators were inside, as was Detective Gumshoe.

One investigator was asking one of the typers questions.

He asked, "Did you know about the time when..."

The typer interrupted, "A bullet train crashed into the District Court, killing 346 people in the resulting fire, and also completely demolishing the courtroom?"

The investigator continued, "Are you writing an article about the recent bombing of Amtrak Station?"

"Yes. Here it is."

Gumshoe approached, and he saw the article that was on the screen. It read: "No Bombing Suspects Yet, Says Police"

"On Tuesday, May 12, 2019, an explosion suddenly ripped through the Amtrak Station in downtown Los Angeles. The fireball released from the explosion then raced up the escalators and into the terminal above it, killing at least 34 people instantly, and injuring 54 more.

The LAPD had been investigating the bombing, but has said that they will bring in the FBI if more bombs are found. A second bomb was found at the scene, but it was safely disarmed. Upon inspection, it was found to be a VCR made by the Japanese company Sony Corporation. Inside, several sticks of dynamite were found attached to a wrist watch.

It is believed that the bombing and the train crash are related, and it is likely that it is no coincidence. It is not known, however, if these bombings are terrorist acts against the United States."

Gumshoe sighed, "Nothing wrong with this article, pal. I am wondering why you chose that subject."

The typist replied, "It is a hot story, and will help us sell more copies if we point out the main issue."

The investigator said, "I guess this is leading us nowhere."

Another man added, "If we're going to sit here and read newspaper articles, then we might as well give up the investigation of that crash altogether."

Gumshoe suggested, "Let's go to the accident scene and report out findings." The men left the building and headed onto the street.

The men were roughly 400 feet from the building when Detective Gumshoe said, "Do I smell burning?"

The remaining men sighed, "Nah. I don't smell a thing."

That instant, a sound similar to when fireworks are launched into the air was heard. All of the people on the street froze on their tracks.

A few seconds later, a powerful explosion ripped across the street. A loud bang was heard, and colorful sparks rained from the sky. Hot embers and metal shards flew through the air, slicing into people's bodies. The road developed a large stress fracture and split down the middle.

The ground shook, and a sound like rolling thunder swept across the ground. The people all around screamed in fear and fell to the ground.

In the distance, Gumshoe found a McDonald's. He yelled, "Let's go in there!"

When all of the investigators got inside and shut the doors, the thunderous roar got much more intense. The ceiling tiles fell down, and the investigators sat down at various tables inside. Suddenly, the windows blew in and shattered. Glass shards flew into the face of Detective Gumshoe and all of the other investigators.

A few seconds later, the high pressure wind stopped, and the strange series of events ended. Gumshoe touched his face, felt the blood running down it, and said, "We need to notify the public about this, pals."

May 13, 8:43 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix and Maya were watching TV, when suddenly, the picture froze up. Maya asked, "Nick, why is the TV frozen?"

The image turned to a black background with white letters. The text read: EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM: CIVIL AUTHORITIES HAVE ISSUED A CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE."

Three sharp tones sounded, each being 2.5 seconds, which was followed by a long tone, which lasted 10 seconds.

A computerized voice then said, "The following message is transmitted at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department. A strange series of events has taken place at the Los Angeles Times building.

At 8:38 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, a loud noise was heard. This was followed by a large pressure blast, which ripped through the city, breaking windows within a 2 mile radius.

It is still unknown what this event was, although a bomb detonation is likely to have caused the events. Stay tuned to further media outlets for more information." Three short tones played, and Phoenix shut the TV off.

He sighed, "The Mad Bomber has struck again!"

Maya groaned, "When will he stop?"

Phoenix guessed, "Probably never. But I do feel that he will be captured by police someday. It's just a matter of time until they get that monkey off the streets."


	13. Into The Woods

May 13, 9:00 A.M. Los Angeles 9-1-1 Call Center

Detective Gumshoe stood in the main area, observing the responders. He had left the investigators to see if anyone could figure out who the Mad Bomber was. He figured that someone would see him placing a bomb in action, and would notify the police about his actions.

He thought, "I'll just wait here and figure out who the Mad Bomber really is. But that could take hours, days, or even weeks for someone to finally find him."

Gumshoe took the pocket computer out of his pocket and entered the internet browser. He searched the term "The Mad Bomber" in the search engine.

He found the article on Wikipedia that read: George Metesky, otherwise known as "The Mad Bomber", was born on November 2, 1903. He worked for the company Consolidated Edison after World War I. In 1931, while working, a blast of gases from a furnace choked him, and he developed pneumonia, and later tuberculosis.

After being denied worker's compensation, Metesky began getting revenge against Consolidated Edison by planting bombs. His first bombs were primitive, and had detonators made from pocket watches. He often left notes with his bombs, all of which were written in blocky letters and signed with "F. P."

During World War II, Metesky did not make any bombs, but after the end of the war, reinitiated his bombings. He continued doing this until 1957, in which he was discovered. He made 33 bombs, which injured 15 people. Found legally insane, he was committed to a mental institution until 1973."

Detective Gumshoe thought, "Hmm. So the Mad Bomber was deranged because he was denied sick pay. Maybe our Mad Bomber is a disgruntled employee at Amtrak or something."

Suddenly, he heard a dial tone. He took his computer and tuned to the 9-1-1 System Frequency. He listened as one of the men in the room answered the call.

"9-1-1, what is your emergency?"

The man on the line said, "Hello. There is a man wearing a black trenchcoat outside of the Prosecutor's Offices."

"What is this man doing?"

"He is hunched over and is messing with a VCR or something."

"Okay. Does he look suspicious?"

"Yes. It looks looks he is placing a bomb."

"Do you believe that that VCR has explosives in it?"

"Yes."

"I want you to send police and an ambulance. I want to make sure no one gets hurt."

"I will send them to your location right away. Sir, what is your name?"

"My name is Anderson Fielding. I am 34 years old, and am a prosecutor."

"Could you describe your job?"

"I am a criminal prosecutor, sir. I..."

There was a loud bang, and the line went dead. A tone sounded, and a computerized voice said, "The line was disconnected. If you would like to make a call, please hang up and try again.

The responder yelled, "I need police and an ambulance down at the Prosecutor's Offices, stat! I think that the caller has been shot!"


	14. Player Down

May 13, 9:12 A.M. Prosecutor's Offices

Detective Gumshoe looked on, spotting several policemen hovering around the west side of the building. He approached the area, and one of the men handed him a note.

One of the policemen said, "Detective, I'm glad you decided to check this out. This is not an ordinary occurrence."

Another man handed him a note. "Detective, he was found dead at the scene. We inspected his wallet, and found that his identity was Anderson Fielding."

Gumshoe yelled, "Pal, the 9-1-1 Center received a call from him." He navigated Gumshoe to the body.

"He was struck by a single bullet and close to point blank range. He died instantly from the impact." The body was inside a car, and the front left window was passenger seat was covered with blood and bits of brain matter. The passenger side window was cracked, but not shattered.

Gumshoe took out a notepad and took notes on what he saw.

"Hmm... it seems that the victim was shot in the head through the window. The shot was probably delivered by an assault rifle, because the wound is rather large. The bullet fatally damaged the vital structures of his brain. To me, it is obvious that this is a homicide."

The police officer who had acknowledged him earlier said, "It's just sad that the Mad Bomber would resort to murder to silence any witness to his acts."

Gumshoe looked at his feet, and spotted a message written in blood on the pavement. He gathered the other officers and he read the message.

It read: IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT AMTRAK IS STILL STANDING. IF I HAVE CAUSED ANYONE GREAT SORROW, THEN I AM SORRY; BUT UNTIL THOSE THIEVES ARE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE, I WILL CONTINUE TO PLACE BOMB UNITS. -F. P.

Gumshoe screamed, "F. P.! That was what the Mad Bomber puts at the end of all of his messages! Our Mad Bomber isn't a disgruntled worker! He is simply mimicking the Mad Bomber's style!"

All of the officers realized it too.

Gumshoe noted, "You know that he wants 'justice' served? Amtrak did nothing wrong here! He is just attacking the whole city of Los Angeles due to some reason. This guy is no socialist... he's not a Communist sympathizer... he's just some terrorist bent on destruction!"

The officer mumbled amongst themselves, speculating on who the Mad Bomber might be.

May 13, 9:23 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix and Maya sat in the lobby of the office, drinking some sort of tea that Maya had produced minutes earlier.

The attorney exclaimed, "This tea is excellent! What did you exactly place in this?"

She sighed, "Well, I made black tea and added some honey to it."

Phoenix laughed, "Of course! How did I not realize that? It was the addition of a common sweetener!"

That instant, both of them heard a paper boy throwing newspapers around the block that the law office was on. He screamed, "EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! PROSECUTOR ANDERSON FIELDING WAS MURDERED BY THE MAD BOMBER! EXTRA!"

Maya facepalmed herself for the third time in 4 days.

Phoenix yelled, "Dammit! If only the police would figure out who that guy is!"

While he ranted on, Maya slipped out the door in time to catch the paper boy as he was delivering the papers. He looked Maya in the eyes, and his face lit up in excitement.

He yelled, "Can it be? Am I really handing the newspaper to... Maya Fey?!"

She said, "You're correct! You are indeed handing the newspaper to Maya Fey."

The paper boy was around 8 years old, and almost looked like he was related to Pearl. He exploded with excitement.

"Yes! I will now be able to tell all of my friends that I delivered the paper to you!"

He handed Maya the paper and leaped away in absolute happiness. She walked back in, only to find that Phoenix wasn't there. Shortly after entering, she heard a flushing sound.

"Niiiick... are you cleaning the toilet... again?!"

Phoenix gasped, "N-No..."

Maya groaned, "Nick! I know that you were scrubbing the toilet! Now let's read that newspaper!"

Phoenix exited the bathroom, and picked up the paper.

The paper read:

The Los Angeles Times: EXTRA

MAD BOMBER VIOLENTLY MURDERS PROSECUTOR IN PARKING LOT

A person, believed to be the Mad Bomber, has now committed his first homicide. Anderson Fielding, a criminal prosecutor, was shot and killed by a single bullet while calling 9-1-1 in his car to alert the authorities of a bomb that was being placed near the Prosecutor's Offices.

It is not known for sure wether or not the Mad Bomber killed Mr. Fielding, but because their was a note left at the scene, as with the Amtrak Station bombing, it is believed that the bomb was made by, and being planted by, the Mad Bomber.


	15. Watch Your Step

May 13, 4:23 P.M. Kurain Village, Fey Manor

Detective Gumshoe traveled to the one place that he believed would not get attacked by the Mad Bomber. After arriving at Fey Manor, he approached it, and continued onward.

He sighed, "Maybe this place could use a NO TRESPASSING sign, because I was able to walk right in!"

After looking around inside, he walked back out, and started walking down the street. He looked almost like a fool to everyone else, because he was pretty much the only one not wearing a kimono. Some people stared, while others laughed, but their laughs were quickly silenced.

He tried to think of a way to get the somewhat annoying hecklers around him to not bother him, so he felt around in his pockets, and found two bottles of Mountain Dew.

He saw a man in the distance, and yelled, "Sir! I have discovered something amazing!"

The man ran over and took one of the bottles from his hand.

Gumshoe took of the caps to both bottles.

He said, "Let us drink the Dew of the Mountain."

The man found the statement quite funny and consumed it.

Gumshoe asked, "So, what do you think?"

The man commented, "Quite sweeter and sharper in taste than the tea I drink in the mornings."

The detective screamed, "Of course! This is one of the best soft drinks ever invented! Not is it sweet, but it gets you all energized, just like tea!"

The man ran away, probably to share his discovery with other people. Gumshoe walked out of the center of the village and towards a payphone.

The payphone looked almost out of place. It was rather modern, compared to Kurain Village, which reminded him of 19th century Japan.

Gumshoe thought, "I remember this payphone being put here in the event of an emergency. The cell tower signal can't reach this high up into the mountains."

Suddenly, it began to ring with a grungy tone. Gumshoe knew that payphones usually did not act as a receiving end for phone calls, but he picked up the receiver and answered it anyways.

"Hello?!"

"Hello to you, sir. Is this call reaching the area of Kurain Village?"

"Yes. It seems so."

"Well, Kurain Village will soon be demolished."

"What?!"

"I have placed a bomb in Fey Manor and I will blow you up if you don't accept my demands."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

Gumshoe realized, "The Mad Bomber! I'm talking to him on the phone! I'll record this conversation and hand it in as evidence! I'll just attach my phone to the USB jack, and I'll save the recording on to the voice recorder! This is just what I needed!"

"What are your demands?"

"Quit trying to stop me."

"From doing what?"

"Trying to bring Amtrak to justice."

"Wait a minute! How do you know that I'm a detective?"

"The internet."

"Okay. What if we submit to your demands?"

"I may detonate that bomb, anyway. It's not your choice."

"Okay..."

"This time, I am really going to nuke that spirit medium!"

"What spirit medium?!"

The line went dead. The disconnected tone played, and a voice said, "The line has been disconnected. Would you like to save a recording of the conversation to your phone?" Gumshoe connected his phone using a USB cable and downloaded a file of the conversation.

The computerized voice continued, "Recording saved on May 13, 2019. Total file size: 564 kilobytes. Total conversation time was 1 minute, 34 seconds." Gumshoe walked out of the phone booth, and raced towards the precinct.

May 13, 4:59 P.M. Los Angeles Police Department

Gumshoe entered the office of the Chief of Police rather quickly.

He yelled, "Chief! There was a telephone bomb threat at Kurain Village!"

The Chief shrugged his shoulders.

"Detective, cell service is not available in Kurain Village!"

The detective protested, "The call was received by a payphone close to the village! I answered the call! I think that it was hacked into, and the call was placed by the Mad Bomber!"

The Chief got on the intercom and screamed, "Everybody to the Briefing Room immediately!"

May 13, 5:00 P.M. Los Angeles Police Department, Briefing Room

All police members sat down in chairs and the Chief took his place on the podium.

"Detective Gumshoe has alerted me about a telephone bomb threat that took place at Kurain Village. It is believed that the Mad Bomber had made the call. He instructed us to stop trying to arrest him, or he would bomb the village.

On the other hand, the Mad Bomber stated that he may bomb the village at his discretion. I would be on the lookout for any possible bomb units that may have been..."

At the exact moment that the Chief let out the syllable "pl", a vociferous noise filled the room.

A short time later, a massive fireball rose into the air. Tables, chairs, and other objects were blown across the room. At the same time, roof trusses began to plummet downward, trapping many police officers under the rubble. A bell then began ringing and the fire sprinklers activated.

Detective Gumshoe was not trapped, and he could barely see through a thick cloud of dust and debris. The room had been completely destroyed, as he could see the grass outside the precinct burning.

He thought, "The Mad Bomber will not allow anyone to be spared..."


	16. Silence

May 13, 5:00 P.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix adjusted the frequency of of his radio to the news station, hoping to learn something new. He heard a tone on the speaker that sounded like a special bulletin.

The anchor said, "Good evening. We have just received news in regards to the Mad Bomber."

The attorney groaned, "Not again!"

"A bomb exploded violently near the Los Angeles Police Department. 85% of the building was destroyed, while 5 surrounding buildings were damaged beyond repair. One of them was home to an Amtrak engineer. Another 3 were restaurants. Specifically, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. The fifth building that was affected was a Walmart superstore."

Phoenix thought, "That was a large bomb. If it can take out a house, three restaurants, and a Walmart, then I'm pretty sure this isn't like the original Mad Bomber. The original Mad Bomber made crude bombs that only injured people. This guy probably has access to military grade explosives."

Suddenly, Maya screamed, "Nick! Come on in here! There's an emergency broadcast on the TV!"

He turned the radio off and sprinted into the bedroom, where he was that an Emergency Alert System message was playing. It read: Civil Authorities have issued a Civil Danger Warning."

After the tones ended, a computerized voice began speaking.

"The following message is transmitted at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department. The detonation of a powerful explosive device has recently occurred. At approximately 5:01 P.M, Pacific Daylight Time, a massive explosion ripped through the center of the city.

The bomb has completely decimated a total of 5 buildings, with heavy casualties. The police department was almost destroyed. At this time, it is unknown who planted the bomb, although it is believed to be the Mad Bomber. Do not leave your homes at this time. Another bomb may detonate.

Due to the severity and frequency of the bombings, an emergency curfew has been put in effect for the city of Los Angeles and surrounding areas. All citizens will be indoors from 7 P.M. to 5 A.M. Anyone seen on the streets during these hours will be subject to..."

That instant, a strange noise was heard on the monitor. The picture faded to black, and the noise got lower and lower in pitch. The words "SIGNAL LOST" appeared. Maya turned off the TV and followed Phoenix to the radio. He pressed the power button, but it wouldn't turn on.

Maya pulled out her cellular phone and attempted to call Phoenix's phone, but it wouldn't connect, and the busy tone was the only thing that would play. Suddenly, Phoenix found a radio that ran on dynamo power. He cranked the handle, and he pushed in in circles.

A radio broadcast began to play. A voice stated, "It seems that the explosion has made the atmosphere electromagnetically charged. In other words, the air is filled with electricity. When the bomb exploded, an electromagnetic pulse was released. That caused all devices that run on electricity to cease functioning. The power may also go out for an extended period of time. Please stay tuned to media outlets for the latest developments."

Phoenix stopped turning the crank and sat down on the office couch.

He thought, "If only the NTSB would finish their investigation so we can figure out who the Mad Bomber is! There's this feeling inside me that the Mad Bomber is the real person who caused the crash. I can feel it..."


	17. Obliteration Day

May 13, 5:19 P.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

After what seemed like an eternity, the electronics came back on. Phoenix immediately checked his computer, and a file popped up from the desktop. It was the final report of the train crash from the NTSB. He eagerly opened it, hoping for good news.

After skipping past 59 pages of mundane filler text, he found the cause of the accident.

"The probable cause for the crash of the Shinkansen into the District Court of Los Angeles was due to two main faults:

(a) The train being cut off from communications for an undetermined reason, and (b) as a result of the tracks being tampered with, allowing for the unauthorized construction of fraudulent routes."

Maya was reading over his shoulder, and asked, "Nick, what exactly does all of that mean?"

He answered, "The crash was caused when the tracks were tampered with by an unknown person, and the tracks led straight to the District Court."

She gasped, "It seems now that this is no accident."

Precisely. And I will present this evidence in court in order to prove that Randall is innocent!"

Suddenly, the humming of a propellor became audible. Phoenix went outside, and saw that a Cessna 152 was making a beeline across the sky towards a highway about 6 miles away.

He came indoors, and told Maya, "Some guy flying a Cessna is gonna have to make an emergency landing on the highway or something."

She sighed, "Nick, that happens sometimes. It'll be on the news tonight, and tomorrow, the trial will get back underway."

May 13, 5:25 P.M. Los Angeles Police Department

Detective Gumshoe saw the last helicopter fly out of sight, and he looked down at the remains of the police department. He pulled out his portable television and found that a news station was airing a story about the explosion.

"At least 234 people were killed, and hundreds more injured. The explosion had the power of 350 tons of TNT."

He thought, "The Mad Bomber surely knows his explosives. If he has bombs like that under his sleeve, he can kill thousands more. This guy is crazy."

He looked up, and saw the Cessna 152 flying towards the bridge, just as Phoenix had a short time earlier. But now, it was flying at a higher altitude, and could barely be seen.

He looked away, and turned around, spotting a large debris field that spread across a large area. It was almost like a dream. The amount of rubble was enormous. He looked back to where the Cessna was, and it had turned right and was flying away from the bridge at a high rate of speed.

Before he could determine why it was flying that way, there was a bright flash. The sun was washed out by the extreme amount of light. He ducked his head down, and covered his ears. He then heard the sound from the flash reach him. The intensity of the sound was so high that the ground around him began to vibrate.

After roughly 20 seconds, Gumshoe looked up at the fireball. It was in the shape of a mushroom cloud. It was then that he began to feel the pressure blast getting close to him. At first, it sounded like rolling thunder, but as it got closer, a low-lying cloud of dust and debris smothered him and blew him across the ground at near supersonic speed.

After he stopped tumbling, he saw the fireball rising into the air very quickly, and a large fire engulfed him. Gumshoe realized he may just die trying to catch the most heinous criminal in the history of Los Angeles.


	18. He Will Stop At Nothing

May 13, 6:00 P.M. Hazakura Temple

Iris and Pearl observed the young acolytes closely. Both of them knew that being one was not the easiest job ever devised. A group of women had recently been shipped over from Kurain Village. There were 24 of them in all, with the youngest being 12, and the oldest being 17.

Pearl asked, "Sister Iris, this reminds me of when Mystic Maya was younger. She was unsteady, and could only channel people for a short period of time."

She replied, "That makes sense. Everything takes a little time to get good at."

They began to discuss various things that were severely off-topic, such as the weather and the whole "Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey" love story.

"So, do you think that Mystic Maya wants to marry Mr. Nick, but Mr. Nick is too nervous to prepose to her?"

Iris thought for a moment and answered, "That may be the case, but I'll need to see those two around each other."

She asked Pearl questions about what they did.

"Are they around each other a lot?"

"Yes!"

"Do they roll around in the grass?"

"Of course!"

"Do they go on dates?"

"I think so."

"Do they kiss?"

"YEEEES."

"Do they..."

Pearl interrupted, "THEY DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER! THEY MUST LOVE EACH OTHER!"

Iris sighed, "Okay."

That moment, they heard the roaring of a propellor, and looked up, finding a Cessna high above their heads.

Pearl asked, "Sister Iris, what do you think that plane is headed?"

She guessed, "Somewhere."

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard, and was followed by an intense flash of light. All of the people outside recognized the noise as an exploding bomb.

Iris groaned, "Oh, shit!"

The fireball raged out of the main temple, tearing a path of destruction wherever it went. Any person unlucky enough to be standing in its path would be vaporized. The sound of the blast rang in everyone's ears. It felt like the events were occurring in slow motion.

After almost 13 seconds, the fireball faded, but the danger was not over. The ground began rumbling violently, and roof tiles began to fall. Many people fell to the ground, and held onto the objects nearest to them to keep them upright.

The shaking continued for what seemed like an eternity, but it somehow ended. After Iris gathered her senses, she walked over, and saw a horrific, morbid sight. All of the training acolytes were lifeless, and had terrible burns. Their arms and legs were out of shape, as their bones were fractured instantly when they hit the ground. They had been disfigured to the point of no survival.

Iris found an ID on one of the older girls. She looked at it, and gasped.

"Sister Bikini was... was... a grandmother!" Her head dropped to her feet, and she fell face first into the ground, sobbing heavily.

May 13, 6:03 P.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix was watching TV when the phone began ringing loudly. He picked up the receiver and said, "Hello?"

"Feenie!"

"Iris!"

"Feenie, a bomb just exploded at Hazakura Temple!"

"W-What?! Another bomb?"

"Yep. It was his 5th bomb."

"Are you sure that the Mad Bomber did it?"

"Yes, of course! The Mad Bomber is the only person that would bomb Hazakura Temple!"

"Was there anything suspicious that you found?"

"There was this phrase that was written in what appears to be blood of the side of the Main Temple."

"What does it say?"

"I have granted these kids to Hell."

"What does that even mean?"

"It probably means that the Mad Bomber is a dissenter!"

"Of spirit mediums, or of Hazakura Temple?"

"Probably both! He doesn't believe that Mystic Maya channels dead people! You've seen it for yourself, right? You know that it's all real, right?"

"Of course! I've seen Maya channel dead people all the time! Of course it's real!"

"You're probably gonna have to take steps to protect her."

"Why?"

"Because if he wants to bomb Hazakura Temple, he'll bomb Kurain, too. And if he doesn't bomb Kurain, he'll bomb the Wright and Co. Law Offices!"

"No way! The office is secure!"

"I suggest that you start being on the lookout for possible bombs! Your life and Maya's will depend on it!"

Iris hung up. The attorney felt the nervousness of his job take over. He thought, "If that spunky, beautiful, happy, energetic girl is killed by the Mad Bomber, than I doubt I will be able to live. We need to find out who the Mad Bomber is before it's too late."


	19. Special Weather Statement

May 13, 9:34 P.M. Los Angeles Police Department

Detective Gumshoe sat on a wooden crate, drinking coffee. He looked around at the large amount of ambulances and helicopters lifting people from the site where the bomb exploded. He himself had to be pulled from the disaster zone. He pulled out his portable TV, which still worked for some odd reason.

"The bomb that exploded over U.S. Highway 19 was as powerful as 8 kilotons of TNT. It was like a small scale atomic bomb. The hypocenter extended off of the bridge and around the water under it, which was vaporized instantly by the explosion. The death toll is currently estimated at 482 people."

Gumshoe sighed, "And I bet that thousands more will die tomorrow from radiation poisoning, if that bomb was atomic. I don't understand why the Mad Bomber can kill so many people without any guilt or remorse. Maybe he isn't even human. Maybe he is part human, part machine, sorta like Darth Vader. But that isn't possible."

The sky had a brown haze that was rather thick, and it had gotten significantly cooler since the bomb went off.

Gumshoe thought, "This is what they meant by _nuclear winter_. When those huge bombs go off, the dust released blocks out the Sun. The crops will be killed, and it'll reach record lows in no time. The Mad Bomber is trying to destroy the whole Earth now, it seems. Then again, if that bomb was nuclear, I don't stand much of a chance now, because I have probably been exposed to fallout."

He switched the television to the weather radio. A computerized voice announced, "You are listening to NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio, transmitting at 162.55 megahertz. Today's high was 72 degrees. The record high was 83 degrees, which was set in 1898. Today's low is 59 degrees. The record low was 42, which was set in 2011. Please stand by for a message from the National Weather Service."

Suddenly, the Emergency Alert System tones sounded. After they ended, a computerized voice came on. "This Special Weather Statement is broadcast from the National Weather Service. It has been issued for the following cities in California: Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and San Bernardino until 9:11 A.M. Tuesday."

"At 9:20 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, National Weather Service doppler radar indicated an abnormally large system of clouds moving out from the city of Los Angeles and across the western United States. The National Weather Service is at a loss to explain where the clouds originated from, although it is believed that these clouds were created artificially.

The following effects are expected: The temperature will severely drop over the next few days. The average high will be 23 degrees, and the average low will drop below freezing. High wind gusts will create a windchill of around -10 degrees. Snowfall of up to 1 to 2 inches or more is possible for the warned areas.

Most crops will be damaged or destroyed. It is recommended that all farmers pick their crops or shelter them in greenhouses until the weather returns to normal. Blizzard conditions are possible, and travel is strongly discouraged. If you must travel, attempt to use public transportation instead of driving by yourself.

Some power lines may be damaged, and the power may go out during this event. Should you lose power, put on large amounts of winter clothing and tune a battery powered radio to this station. It is recommended that you go to a store in order to get items you may need, such as a flashlight, boots, a shovel, and non-perishable food.

The 7 P.M. to 5 A.M. curfew is still in effect. Anyone found on the streets during these hours will be subject to arrest. You are only allowed to be out of doors if you have a life threatening emergency. Also, the telephone system will likely experience a high number of calls, so call family using a landline. Only call 9-1-1 if you have a life threatening emergency."

The future of the whole U.S. looked bleak at this point. All Detective Gumshoe could do is hope that the Mad Bomber's intentions were not to eliminate millions of people in order to make a point.


	20. Fortississimo

May 14, 7:34 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix got himself out of bed and looked out the window, which was fogged severely. After he wiped the condensation from it, he was amazed to find snow on the ground. He gasped, "Snow?! How is there snow?!"

He found a note on the glass.

It read: Due to the Mad Bomber detonating a large bomb, "nuclear" winter has resulted. -Detective Gumshoe.

Phoenix thought, "How does he know where I live? Anyways, I'm tired of that maniac blowing people up. It it time that I started my own investigation into the Mad Bomber."

He headed to the office computer and headed to the website for the LAPD, and found the page for the details about him.

Name: Unknown

Alias: The Mad Bomber

Crimes: He has detonated several bombs that have caused over 1,000 deaths and 1,420 injuries. One bomb even caused winter in the Los Angeles area.

Appearance: It is unknown what he looks like, although he has been cited as wearing dark, shadowy clothing.

After getting the scoop, he made a word document and began typing all of the evidence that he knew about the Mad Bomber, such as the places he had bombed, and any things that stood out, such as the suspicious notes at the first few bombings, or the "I have granted these kids to Hell" message found after Hazakura Temple was bombed.

He then thought, "Who would want to get even with the city of Los Angeles? I don't know anyone who hates Amtrak. But I do know that process of elimination may help me."

He made a table and listed off several infamous people that committed heinous offenses in recent years, and wether it was likely they would commit the bombings.

After essentially crossing off every person on the immediate list, he made a secondary list, and found one person that stood out to him as possibly wanting to bomb Los Angeles: Jean Armstrong.

He said, "That chef needs a serious lesson in gender identity. He may be fed up with nobody liking his restaurant, so he is bombing the city to show his anger. Then again, if he is the Mad Bomber, wouldn't he just bomb successful restaurants? Also, he is a complete bumblefucking idiot, so why would he even know how to construct a bomb in the first place?"

Phoenix marked him as a possible suspect, but knew that he did not have any evidence to prove that he was the Mad Bomber, so he didn't really have any leads, effectively ruling his "investigation" futile. From the back of the room, he heard a marching band playing familiar Christmas songs.

He jumped up from the computer and dragged Maya and himself outside. The snow covered the roofs of houses and the road that the band was walking on, but they still played very well.

Maya gasped, "If only I could play in a marching band, Nick."

Phoenix suggested, "Well, maybe we could start an orchestra or a concert band ourselves."

The band shifted from playing "Jingle Bells" to "1812 Overture", and the bass drums in the back got very loud in volume, causing the observers to feel the beat resonating inside of their bodies.

Near the end of the song, the band became extremely vociferous and when they hit the final beat, there was an enormous thundering sound. It was not from the drums, but from what sounded like an explosion.

Many band members turned their heads and saw a small cloud of smoke rising into the air, and the director screamed, "Band halt!"

Phoenix saw a man lying in the street, holding a trombone. The slide was missing, and as he got closer, noticed flash burns on the man's face.

He growled, "The Mad Bomber... how lowly can he get? Planting explosives in musical instruments?"

The whole band set down their instruments and crowded around the stricken man.

One of the trumpet players yelled, "We need an ambulance!"

A percussionist gasped, "Bill! Are you all right?"

The director was on her cell phone, likely with a 9-1-1 dispatcher.

Maya sighed, "The Mad Bomber is setting us up to die! He makes situations occur, and then we get hit!"

Phoenix found a note with block type on the wall of a building, that read: WELCOME TO HELL.


	21. Attack Warning Red

May 14, 7:45 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix and Maya watched over the fallen band member, observing what the other members were doing. Most of them were calling the police department to report the bombing. Others were sitting near the walls of the law office, waiting there for the ambulance to show up.

When the EMT's did appear, they immediately placed an oxygen mask over his face, propped him onto a stretcher, loaded him into the ambulance, and drove away, the lights of the ambulance on and the siren filling the air with the usual wailing tone. Phoenix scanned the crowd ahead of him, and found the slide of the man's trombone.

Upon picking it up, he looked inside of it, which was severely burned. He thought, "A bomb was placed inside the slide, which exploded, and blew hot escape gases out the open end. It was like a rocket. No wonder it ended up so far away from the scene! That's how he got those burns on his face!"

A few police officers and Detective Gumshoe soon appeared. Soon after arriving, Gumshoe closed off the area and began scouring for possible leads. Immediately, he sighted a pair of marching band shoes. They were somewhat disfigured.

Gumshoe thought, "The Mad Bomber may have gout. If untreated, it can cause toe disfigurement."

He looked in the shoes, and found a Glock pistol laying down inside, with a circuit board and lead wires running along the shoe. He snipped the wires and took out a screwdriver, and began disassembling the pistol piece by piece. He opened the plastic shell, and pulled the chamber out.

Inside was a small piece of a shiny metal, and a larger piece of the same metal was present in the end, and a spring mechanism was present behind the whole structure. The end of where a bullet would normally come out was blocked by a piece of rubber. A shriveled up note was inside.

He ran from the shoes and handed it to the policemen. They read it, and then handed it to Phoenix.

It read: THIS IS MY VERY FIRST NUCLEAR WEAPON. IT SEEMS THAT AMTRAK CAN NOT PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER AND TURN THEMSELVES IN, SO I HAVE INTENSIFIED MY ARSENAL. -F. P.

He gasped, "Nuclear bomb?! If that thing went off, I would have been vaporized! No wonder he planted it here! He was setting up a death trap! The trombone bomb was a diversion that was designed to get people in the area so that he could kill thousands!"

Detective Gumshoe said, "That shiny metal has to be uranium! But there is so little of it! The explosion would be as powerful as about 500 tons of TNT! But then again, there's two, so that means there would have been a 1 kiloton explosion. And then the radiation would have killed everyone."

Phoenix theorized, "This man is obviously deranged. He is now planting atomic bombs. Where does he get all of the explosive material? Furthermore, how did he get enough uranium to make an atomic bomb?! That obviously crosses Jean Armstrong off the list. But who could it be?"

Gumshoe placed both shoes into a radioactive waste container and said, "Ship this to the FBI for analysis. I'll contact the President's cabinet tonight and get a few agents down here to assist us in our investigation. The Mad Bomber is obviously a high level criminal."

Phoenix said, "Detective, I surely hope that this case ends soon, or Los Angeles could face total destruction at the bloody, grimy claws of the Mad Bomber."


	22. 1517

May 14, 9:00 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix looked out the window, and saw a mailman insert a letter inside a mailbox near the office entrance, and quickly left in his vehicle. Upon seeing this, Maya retrieved the mail, and saw that it was a document sent by the judge. She handed the letter to Phoenix, hoping that he would understand it better.

The attorney looked at the letter, and it read:

Attn: Belligerents in the case of _State of California vs. Randall Klein_.

The NTSB report has been submitted, so the trial will continue tonight at 6:00. Hopefully, this case will be closed so that the police and the FBI can focus on finding out the identity of the Mad Bomber.

Phoenix thought, "If that NTSB report shows that he isn't Guilty, then why are they still trying to prosecute him on the basis that he caused the crash? I guess I'll have to prove that Randall was not involved whatsoever, and that the crash occurred outside of his control."

Maya asked, "Nick, do you think that the crash of that bullet train and the bombings are caused by the same person?"

He answered, "Maybe, but it is highly unlikely. Why would a terrorist crash a train into a courtroom? If so, he probably would have been killed in the crash, so how could he have lived through it?"

She sighed, "I guess that you are right. The Mad Bomber is not connected to the crash at all. I suppose that we'll have to wait and then figure out who he is. He seems to have never been seen by anyone. There aren't any composite sketches of him. The only man who saw him was murdered!"

May 14, 9:56 A.M. Kurain Village

Detective Gumshoe and a few other FBI agents arrived in order to determine if there were any bombs there.

He asked an agent, "What were those bombs made of?"

The agent answered, "The shoe bombs weren't real atomic bombs. They were made with Uranium-238, which is not able to sustain a fission reaction. Those bombs were designed to scare people, Detective."

"Yeah, pal, but the Mad Bomber may make real atomic bombs, and detonate them at a sporting event or something? What then?"

The other agents looked at him strangely and said nothing. The detective shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to enter the area surrounding Fey Manor.

Gumshoe spotted what appeared to be a marching band, with the band director giving orders to where the march would begin.

He asked himself, "What the hell is a marching band doing in Kurain Village? The last time I checked, 19th century Japan didn't have marching bands!"

He then realized that they were, in fact, infantry soldiers, being led for exercises. The general wore a black trenchcoat with fancy badges on it, with a cap atop his head.

Gumshoe thought, "That looks suspicious. Soldiers aren't allowed to be in a place like this. There's something wrong with this picture."

Meanwhile, a group of about 35 people was present near Fey Manor, where they became awed by all of the artifacts that were present. Most of them just stood there, seemingly unaware of the soldiers just 500 feet behind them.

The general stood behind his men, and Gumshoe noticed all of the soldiers raise their rifles into the air slightly.

The general whispered, "Open fire..."

Gumshoe yelled, "Open fire?! On who?" There was a loud bang and a cloud of dust and debris filled the air.

The general lead his men though Fey Manor, while screams of terror filled the air. Gumshoe heard the loud screams of teenage girls being shot to death by assault rifles, and the thunderous sound of footsteps emanating from the boots of the infantrymen.

Gumshoe yelled to the agents, "We've got a faker! A fake general with a fake army, and he's shooting people!"

One agent ran off towards the entrance of the village in order to use the payphone, and the others took out their cameras and video recorders, and started filming.

Suddenly, a large explosion filled the sky, along with more horrendous screams of innocent bystanders being shot. A short while later, the general lead his men into the center of the village, which was a short ways away. He looked up, and saw that a flagpole had been erected. He ordered his soldiers to take out their hatchets and chop it down.

There was a creaking noise as the pole fell to the ground. The soldiers ripped the U.S. and California flags from the pole. The agents and Detective Gumshoe watched the men take Japanese flags out of their pockets.

They also took off the flag of Kurain Village from the pole. After soaking the flags in what appeared to be kerosene, they lit them ablaze, sending thick, black some into the air.

After all of the flags had been burned, they assembled their flagpole, and erected a red flag on it. It had two swords, crossed over each other, with a white star over the swords.

Gumshoe thought, "Is there really a rebellion going on here? This is horrific!" And when they all thought it could get any worse, it did.

The cries of middle aged women could be heard. Gumshoe turned his head, and saw the soldiers immolating several elders on wooden posts made from the old flagpole.

Gumshoe turned his head and ran a few yards, where the contents of his stomach violently discharged into a few bushes.

Upon returning to where the agents were, Detective Gumshoe began shivering in fear. He worried sick for Maggey, hoping that she would not be killed in one of these raids. That was when something clicked in his head.

"That's it! That general... he is the Mad Bomber! The Mad Bomber wears a black trenchcoat!"

The agents all became surprised and saved the videos and images that they had taken. Gumshoe wondered how he would inform Phoenix that Kurain Village was no longer a safe place to be, and that Maya would likely have to be taken in to police custody in order for her own safety.


	23. Shock Therapy

May 14, 9:23 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix was watching television when the phone started ringing. He ran towards it, and picked it up.  
"Hello?"

"Pal, this is Detective Gumshoe."

"Did you find evidence against the Mad Bomber?"

"Well, all we know so far is that he wears a black trenchcoat. But I've got bad news."

"Bad news?"

"Well, could you get Maya, please?"

Phoenix ran into the lobby and said, "Maya, Detective Gumshoe wants to speak with you immediately." She ran towards the phone and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Maya, you will not believe what just happened in Kurain Village."

"What?"

"It was raided by the Mad Bomber."

"What did that corpuscle do?"

"He had a bunch of cronies with him, and they opened fire upon tourists. They killed all of them. They then placed a pipe bomb in the Channeling Chamber and blew it up. Finally, the Mad Bomber chopped down the flagpole, burned American, Japanese, and Kurain Village flags, put his own flag on top of a flagpole that he erected, and burned a few elders at the stake."

"WHAT?!"

"Unfortunately, yes. The real problem is that you are in grave danger."

"Are you trying to suggest that the Mad Bomber is mentally ill?"

"He may have some infatuation with you. He seems to be bombing places where you have been to."

"That means that I need to move to Japan or something!"

"No no no... you don't need to move to Japan. But be careful and alert the police if you see anything suspicious!"

Maya gasped, "Nick! The Mad Bomber is pure evil! He has to pay up for his crimes against humanity!"

Phoenix added, "He'll likely be executed. If he isn't, he'll be put in prison for the rest of his life."

She asked, "Nick, why does it feel like I am always in danger?"

"Maybe it's because you are always on the edge."

Maya realized, "I am on the edge quite frequently. Usually, when Pearly..."

Phoenix froze in fear. "Pearl?! Where is she?" Maya sweated, "I don't know! Sister Iris was going to contact us when they were returning to LA... but Hazakura Temple got bombed, and she is in the hospital. But because Pearly wasn't on the news as being injured that means that..."

Phoenix interrupted, "She got kidnapped?!" She screamed, "Of course! The Mad Bomber must've done it!"

The attorney then found that his suggestion was highly absurd, but as unlikely as it was, it probably was what had happened. "Maya, go talk to the Chief of Police and fill out a report. They'll find her before we know it if we act quickly."


	24. Fiery Rage

May 14, 5:45 P.M. District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 3

Phoenix and Maya stood next to Randall, almost shaking in fear. He asked, "Mr. Wright, why do you look so frightened?"

Maya yelled, "Pearl got kidnapped by the Mad Bomber!"

"Kidnapped?! What is running through that man's head? No wonder he's called the _Mad Bomber_!"

Phoenix pulled out his cell phone and turned it to the weather radio. The forecaster said, "We now interrupt our programming for a message from the Emergency Alert System. Important information will follow."

Three sharp tones sounded, which were followed by a long, annoying tone.

"Child Abduction Emergency, requested by the Los Angeles Police Department. Police are currently searching for Pearl Fey, a white female. She is 9 years old, is 4 feet 6 inches tall, and weighs 87 pounds.

She was allegedly abducted by the Mad Bomber. His name is unknown. He is a white male, being 35-40 years of age, around 6 feet, two inches tall, and he weighs around 200 pounds.

The victim was last seen at Hazakura Temple, which is 200 miles northwest of San Francisco. She was wearing a kimono, and had sandals on. The suspect is known to wear a black trenchcoat, and is not believed to be driving a motor vehicle.

If you see the child or the suspect, call 9-1-1 or contact the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-527-3247."

The intercom them clicked. "Would the belligerents in State of California vs. Randall Klein please enter Courtroom No. 3 at this time?"

Phoenix tried to keep on a brave face for his client, but felt like Pearl would not be found in time to save her.

May 14, 6:00 P.M. District Court, Courtroom No. 3

As Phoenix and Maya got themselves situated, seven reporters in the back aimed their cameras so that the whole courtroom was displayed. One reported even asked the court bailiff a question.

"Sir, do you believe that this trial will end tonight?" The bailiff shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

The main camera, which belonged to CNN, zoomed in on the judge as he took his seat and smashed his gavel.

"The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Randall Klein."

Diego sighed, "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."

Phoenix stood up, and stuttered, "T-The defense is r-ready, Your Honor..."

The judge asked, "Mr. Wright? Are you all right? You sound a little shaken."

He replied, "I-I'm fine, Your Honor."

Diego announced, "Your Honor, even though the NTSB report clears Mr. Klein of direct fault, he still could have been involved in the crash by not checking to see if the railroad tracks had been altered. Therefore, I now call Mr. Delfino Henderson to the stand."

Phoenix thought, "Henderson? Wasn't that the girl that Peter Welsh was dating? This man is likely her father."

The bailiff said, "Please raise you right hand."

Henderson agreed, and was quickly sworn in and put on the stand. The judge asked, "Mr. Henderson, in what manner are you related to Amtrak?"

"Sir, my daughter is dating the Director of Locomotive Safety."

Maya said, "Looks like we have a family case going on here, Nick."

The judge banged his gavel. "You may begin your testimony. Please inform the court what you saw on the day of the incident."

"I was sitting in my car, when I saw a train speed towards the District Court. There was a tremendous crash, which was followed by a fireball, which shot out of the hole it made when it entered the courtroom. I ran to the scene, and I called 9-1-1."

The judge asked, "So that's it?"

"Yes. I would appreciate it if Mr. Wright could Cross-Examine me."

Phoenix said, "Sure."

Maya protested, "Nick! What do you think that he's doing! He looks fishy to me! Asking you to Cross-Examine him! He wants to trip you up! Be careful!"

"I was sitting in my car, when I saw a train speed towards the District Court. There was a tremendous crash, which was followed by a fireball, which shot out of the hole it made when it entered the courtroom. I ran to the scene, and I called 9-1-1."

Phoenix yelled, "Hold it!"

"What did you do after you called 9-1-1?"

Henderson answered, "I left."

The attorney pressed, "Why did you leave? Who leaves a terrible accident after calling 9-1-1?" Henderson jumped and sweated, "Uh..." The jury mumbled briefly.

The judge ordered, "Mr. Henderson, I would recommend that you give your testimony again."

Henderson explained, "The reason that I left the scene was because I suffered from an injury. I helped out, and I pulled some people from the burning wreckage of the District Court. In the process, I got second degree burns on my arms."

The judge continued, "Mr. Henderson, I believe that you explanation is valid. Mr. Wright, you may Cross-Examine the witness."

Phoenix looked at Henderson's arms, and told himself, "I doubt he really suffered from burns. He likely just has an existing skin condition."

"The reason that I left the scene was because I suffered from an injury. I helped out, and I pulled some people from the burning wreckage of the District Court."

Phoenix screamed, "Objection!"

"Mr. Henderson, eyewitness reports show that no one helped after the incident except for those inside the court itself! So how were you involved?"

Henderson snapped, "Y-You! You allege that everything I say is wrong! It's that strategy that all of you dirty defense attorneys use! You blame everything on an innocent witness like me! I have the ability to prove that I am completely innocent!"

A voice from next to Phoenix yelled, "Not so fast!"

The lawyer turned his head to find that Maya had channeled Mia. He yelled, "It was certainly a good time for you to jump in!"

Mia sighed, "Let's get the over with!"

They both screamed, "Objection!" and pointed their fingers at Delfino. The reporters aimed their cameras at the defense attorneys, bewildered by the situation at hand.

Henderson exploded with fury. "What the?! Two defense attorneys? How is that fair? This court is faulty! I'm outta here!"

Mia slammed her hands on the bench. "You're not going anywhere! The doors are locked! You're sworn in, too. All you can do is tell the truth!"

Phoenix added, "Unless you want to be charged with perjury, that is. We would like to hear you inform the court the truth!"

Henderson breathed deeply a few times and yelled, "I didn't do nothing! All I did was... was... Graaaaah!"

He took off his shoe and hurled it and Phoenix, but it came up short and hit the counsel bench instead.

"I... I am affiliated with the Mad Bomber. I built some of his bombs! And he isn't a lone ranger! He works for someone!"

Mia asked, "Who does he work for, then?"

"He... he... er... works for..."

The judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Henderson, please inform us who the Mad Bomber works for!"

"De Killer... Shelly de Killer."

The whole jury then lost it. One man blurted out, "If the Mad Bomber is working for that son of a bitch, than we're all fucked!" The reporters also began yelling and screaming until the the banged his gavel three times.

"ORRRRDER!"

"But there is a twist. The Shelly de Killer that the Mad Bomber works for works for the son of de Killer. His son's name is also Shelly de Killer."

Mia asked, "So that's why he was able to make nuclear weapons?"

Henderson gasped, "Y-Yes. He works for the highest level criminal in the whole United States."

The judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Henderson, you are dismissed from the stand. Your sentence will be announced at a future date. As for Mr. Klein, this court finds him... Not Guilty."

Confetti rained down from the ceiling, and the jury cheered.

"Court is adjourned!"


	25. Their Life Is In Your Hands

May 14, 7:23 P.M. District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 3

Phoenix and Maya walked out of the courtroom doors, and Randall followed closely behind. Some CNN reporters and news cameras followed them down the hallway as citizens clapped loudly and shouted gloriously.

One reporter asked him, "Mr. Wright, has this case been special, or are a lot of your cases like this?"

He replied, "It was quite nerve-wracking. But I have 3 years of experience as an attorney, so I was not extremely nervous, but I did have a slight sense of fear in myself as the case progressed."

The other reports walked off, and the news cameras quit rolling, and before long, everyone had left, except for the ace attorney, his assistant, and Randall.

He said, "Mr. Wright, thanks for being my attorney. I probably would have been convicted on the first day had you not stepped in."

Maya asked, "So how much is it going to cost him, Nick?"

Phoenix answered, "Randall, you'll have to pay about $25,000 in attorney's fees, but that's it!"

They all laughed, but their joy was interrupted when an electronic ringing noise filled the air; it sounded almost like a cell phone ringing.

Phoenix looked around, and searched the area, but he could not find a cell phone anywhere, and he knew that it wasn't his ringtone. Above him, he saw a transceiver attached to the ceiling with a string of nylon rope. He ripped it from the connecting strand and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Ah. So are you Phoenix Wright?"

"The one and only. So who are you?"

"Mr. Attorney, I'd like to keep that under wraps for now."

"Why is that?"

"It would kill me reveal my identification."

"The one thing I'll tell you is that your precious bundle isn't getting out in one piece."

"What precious bundle?"

"A cute, cuddly, precious bundle."

"I still do not understand what you mean by 'precious bundle'!"

"Well, think. Who do you know that is cute and cuddly, Mr. Attorney?"

"Y-You mean... PEARLS?!"

"Mr. Attorney, what matters? In the end, she'll be a nice gift to me."

"What do you mean by 'nice gift'?"

"Nothing. My time is just about over."

"No! Don't disconnect!"

The transceiver clicked. Phoenix groaned, "Dammit! If only I could have kept him on the line!"

Maya gasped, "Nick, that was the Mad Bomber! He wants to make you get all hyped up so he can lash out when you try to protect me and Pearl!"

The attorney screamed, "How can I protect Pearl if she's in the hands of the Mad Bomber?!"

Randall reminded them, "Calm down! This is a courthouse, after all. But in regards to Pearl, I think she is the key to the Mad Bomber's goal. I think Pearl has to be the key to his plan."

Phoenix thought, "What would this guy want with a 9-year-old girl in the first place? I can't think of anything. Come on, Phoenix! If I can't think of anything, Pearl is screwed! If the Mad Bomber wants Pearl, what does he want to use her for?"

May 14, Location, Time and Place: CLASSIFIED

Pearl opened her eyes slowly, and they flicked a little. When her vision came to her, she saw that she was surrounded by a large amount of men dressed in surgical scrubs. She had been strapped down to a bed, which acted as a makeshift operating table.

One man appeared to be a surgeon, and he held a scalpel in his hand. Another man had a gas container that had a face mask attached to it, and had a label that read: N2O. She knew that where she was was obviously not a hospital, because hospitals did not kidnap people.

A man, who happened to resemble a surgeon, walked towards her.

He said, "You'll be asleep for a while. It's gonna be all right, Pearl."

She thought, "Wait a minute... how does this dopehead know my name? Is he psychic?"

That was when one man placed a mask over her face. Instinctively, she inhaled.

After about 10 seconds, she began to feel woozy and felt a sensation of drowsiness pass over her body. The surgeon looked over at Pearl and raised his scalpel, placed the tip of it near the middle of her neck.

About now, as a result of the shock of the man holding a sharp instrument so close to her larynx and inhaling gases through the mask, she lost consciousness, and her head gently rested on one of the pillows of the bed. The man closed her eyelids, which were left open when she passed out.

He focused a light on her neck and heard a man say, "She's fully sedated. You can proceed."

The surgeon-look alike sighed, "I hope she doesn't hemorrhage too badly. We don't have any blood transfusion equipment on hand."

He grinned slightly as he began his first cut.


	26. Intensive Care

May 14, Location, Time, and Place: CLASSIFIED

Pearl's eyes opened for the first time since she was sedated. Upon inspecting the room, she saw that leads had been attached to her chest in order to record her heart rate. It beeped somewhat frequently, and showed that her heart rate was 70 beats per minute.

She tried to move her neck, but severe pain was felt whenever she moved it the slightest bit. It became obvious that the "surgeon" she had seen earlier had sliced into her neck tissue and had done something with it.

"But what would someone want with my neck tissue?", Pearl wondered. "My body is just like everyone else's."

She then attempted to speak, but she was met with extreme fits of coughing when she tried. Pearl then found that a plastic tube ran out of her mouth and into some sort of machine.

Her chest rose and fell at regular intervals. It was impossible for her not to breathe, so she assumed that the machine was breathing for her for some reason. Before she could think anymore, footsteps became audible. Scared for her life, she fell back onto her pillow and shut her eyes tightly.

The footsteps got louder and more frequent. She thought all was well until she felt something was being pulled out of her. Her eyes shot open and she tried to scream in fear, but she instead started gagging on her ventilation tube and she felt her intestinal contents rushing back into her stomach.

After about 10 seconds, the tube was pulled out of her mouth, and she stopped gagging, coughed a few times, and breathed loudly several times to get the feeling of the ventilator out of her throat tissues. The "surgeon" was silent, but he handed Pearl a mirror.

She slowly tilted it towards her neck, where she saw nearly 30 stitches holding the sides of her incision together. She handed the mirror back to the "surgeon", who walked away laughing.

"I can't believe she didn't even resist! And now we'll be able to continue our mission."

He looked over his comrades, who were experimenting with a piece of thyroid tissue, when another man entered with an ampule, which contained a liquid.

"Here it is, Master. All 250 micrograms of it. Synthesized trinitrolutein."

"Yes... now we will be able to proceed with my plan. With this, we are now unstoppable! The Los Angeles Police Department will not be able to halt us any more!"

May 15, 7:34 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix asked Maya, "Any news on Pearls yet?"

She sighed, "Nope. It is still a mystery to where she might be. It is so hard waiting for the police to find her!"

The attorney looked up at a few case files, which were from 2011. One had a cover that read: _United States of America vs. Andrea Helprin_.

He asked, "Maya, do you think that it would be a good time to read another case from the old days?"

She implied, "I think reading this case would be quite interesting. It seems that the national government was suing someone, not just the state of California."

Phoenix held his breath as he turned the page.


	27. Turnabout Libel

February 8, 8:59 A.M. Grossberg Law Offices

Diego Armando was enjoying his 6th cup of coffee for the day when Mr. Grossberg entered the room with a slight frown on his face.

He said, "Mr. Armando, we have a new client. However, this case will not be the simple open and shut case. Would you like the details surrounding your potential client?"

Diego sighed, "Sure. Why not learn some details about this person?"

"Mr. Armando, your client is an 8-year-old girl named Andrea Helprin. She is being sued by the national government for defamation because she started handing out leaflets that stated that Misty Fey was not a fraud."

The attorney gasped, "What? Since when were children tried as adults anyway? And why is saying the truth a crime? After all, because we live in the U.S. of A, don't we have free speech rights?"

Grossberg replied, "She is being sued because the leaflet noted that the President was lobbied by Redd White to make a speech on national TV that stated that the Fey clan was not connected to the spirit world and that necromancy was totally false. Unfortunately, the President did make that speech."

Diego sighed, "So you're saying that I'm having to defend a child that is being sued by the national government because she is telling the truth?"

Grossberg replied, "Yes. If you want Mia to be your co-counsel, feel free to go ahead."

He sat down on one of the office's couches, and asked, "Kitten?"

Mia walked over and wondered, "What is it, Diego? Something bothering you?"

Diego answered, "I have to defend an 8-year-old girl that is being sued by the government for telling the truth about the Fey clan."

Mia yelled, "Oh, God! You mean, Fey clan, as in, my mother?"

The defense attorney clarified, "Yes..."

An appearance of amazement and shock became visible on Mia's face.

"I figured that scoundrel would sue a young girl to prevent the truth for surfacing! Before long, he's gonna be kissing up to us, saying that he is sorry for the lies he said in the horrid speech!"

Diego added, "So... do you want to act as co-counsel?"

She replied, "Of course! As long as I get to ride in the front seat on the way to the Detention Center and to the District Court."

February 8, 9:10 A.M. Detention Center

The protective grate opened, showing a young girl who was obviously distressed. "Please! Don't let me face prosecution! I was only telling the truth!"

Diego commented, "Well, you're not alone. I will be defending you in court. My name is Diego Armando. I am a defense attorney."

Andrea gasped, "Defense attorney? I've never had one of those!"

Mia added, "It's sorta like having a person that will prevent you from being yelled at by a teacher at school."

Andrea asked, "Will you manage to get a Not Guilty verdict for me?"

Diego answered, "It depends on the strength of the President's argument. Most likely, we will manage to win the case."

Andrea wondered, "So when do you think we will get to head off to the District Court?"

Mia sighed, "Well, I'd say about now. Then we have time to contemplate our case before this trial starts."

February 8, 9:30 A.M. District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 2

Andrea was amazed by the size of the District Court the moment she entered it. She gasped, "I bet it cost millions in order to build this place!"

Diego agreed, "I personally think that this trial will be short and sweet, just the opposite of my usual cup of coffee. Wait a minute... coffee?"

He took off to the nearest coffee machine, inserted 50 cents, and waited. It took almost 15 seconds before it was finished. Diego took the cup in his hand and walked causally back to where Mia was.

"I believe that I must take my 7th cup of coffee for today about now."

As he consumed it, Andrea remarked, "Mr. Armando, you sure drink a lot of coffee."

Diego wasn't surprised. Just as he finished the coffee, an announcement came over the intercom that directed all belligerents in the trial to enter the courtroom, so they slowly walked into the courtroom, and all the while, Andrea was shaking like a puppy coming out of its kennel for the first time.

February 8, 10:00 A.M. District Court, Courtroom No. 3

Diego, Mia, and Andrea took their seats, and looked over at the prosecutor. Diego could barely see the letters on his attorney's badge. It read: IATE DIGOXIN. He immediately became intimidated, as Iate Digoxin was a cruel, ruthless government prosecutor. He even rivaled Manfred von Karma, for he hadn't lost a case once.

Before he could think of what to do, the judge smashed the gavel. "The court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Andrea Helprin," he said.

Diego stammered, "The defense is r-ready, Y-Your Honor..."

Digoxin looked at the judge and growled, "The prosecution is prepared, Your Honor."

The judge asked, "Mr. Digoxin, may you please give your opening statement?" Digoxin delivered his points in a deep, low voice that caused the counsel benches to rumble.

"Andrea Helprin is guilty of defaming the former President of the United States. She passed out a pamphlet that alleged that the Fey clan of spirit mediums were able to perform necromancy, which is undoubtedly false."

Mia screamed, "Objection!"

"Your Honor, my mother was not a fraud! I saw her channel spirits all the time!"

Digoxin rumbled, "Overruled!"

The judge reminded him, "Mr. Digoxin, I have the final say on wether an objection is sustained or overruled."

Digoxin grumbled, "OBJECTION OVERRULED!"

The judge cowered in fear. "All right. Objection overruled."

Diego thought, "This guy is so intimidating that he can sustain and overrule objections. I am in for a serious beating by this guy!"

The judge continued, "The prosecution may call its first witness."

Digoxin bellowed, "Your Honor, I am not quite done with my opening statement. Then, I will call my first witness. As I was saying, the President was doing nothing wrong at all. The defendant was simply trying to rally sympathy for spirit mediums! And with that said, I now call my first witness. I now call Ulysses Wittenberg to the stand."

Once the witness was on the stand, Digoxin asked, "Mr. Wittenberg, please state your occupation and age."

Wittenberg said, "I am a member of the former President's Secret Service. I am 34 years old. I am testifying for the former President because he could not attend due to political reasons."

Digoxin ordered, "Mr. Wittenberg, please supply testimony to the court. Enlighten us on why Mr. Former President made that fateful speech."

Wittenberg noted, "On January 12, 2002, Redd White informed him about the DL-6 Incident and offered him 8 million dollars if he would denounce the Fey clan on national TV, which he did. Afterwards, he did not have any guilt or remorse."

Digoxin continued, "Just as I thought. He was telling the truth the whole time. Mr. Armando, Cross-Examine my witness... if you dare..."

Diego turned his head, and noticed that Mia had tears in her eyes. He asked, "Kitten? Are you all right?"

Mia answered, "Diego, they're gonna get away with it! They are saying that it was legal to defame my family and make my mother go away! You've gotta... you've just gotta bust that freak wide open!"

She began to sob heavily.

The attorney thought, "I have to Cross-Examine him... I must! Even if there is nothing wrong with his testimony, I have to try."

He bravely announced, "I will Cross-Examine the witness, Mr. Digoxin."

The prosecutor laughed, "Really? Ha! Just try and find anything wrong with his testimony!"

Wittenberg repeated, "On January 12, 2002, Redd White informed him about the DL-6 Incident and offered him 8 million dollars if he would denounce the Fey clan on national TV, which he did. Afterwards, he did not have any guilt or remorse."

Diego screamed, "Objection!"

"Mr. Wittenberg, are you sure that he didn't have any remorseful feelings afterwards?"

Wittenberg insisted, "He felt almost glad of himself to have gotten a weight off of his shoulders!"

Diego slammed his hands on the counsel bench.

"There is an article from the USA Today, dated March 15, 2010, which states that the former President felt guilt, but he never informed the public! So how could he have felt good afterward?"

Wittenberg sweated, "Well, uh... I thought that he felt proud of himself?" The jury roared loudly, and the judge banged his gavel three times. "Order! Order in the court!"

"Mr. Wittenberg, could you please give your testimony again?"

"So far, it appears that the former President was, in fact, forced to do it. But one fact that hasn't been examined so far was wether the Fey clan really could perform necromancy! If you can't prove that the Fey clan could channel spirits, you don't have a case!"

The whole court was silent for several seconds after his testimony ended. The judge even was surprised by his testimony.

Mia groaned, "Dammit! Andrea might just be guilty! Even worse, this trial could be indefinitely suspended due to lack of evidence!"

Diego grinned, "Not yet, Kitten. We still have one trick up our sleeve."

Mia looked at her boyfriend, in confusion to what they could use as evidence to bust up the solid testimony of Mr. Wittenberg.

Digoxin blared, "The defense may Cross-Examine my witness's flawless testimony at their discretion."

Wittenberg repeated, "So far, it appears that the former President was, in fact, forced to do it. But one fact that hasn't been examined so far was wether the Fey clan really could perform necromancy!"

Diego screamed, "Objection!"

"Mr. Wittenberg... you stated that there is absolutely no evidence to remotely suggest that the Fey clan has channeled spirits?"

Wittenberg yelled, "Of course, Prosecutor Coffeeguzzler!"

He slammed his hands down on the counsel bench.

"Mr. Wittenberg, if you research the DL-6 Incident, then you will find that Misty Fey channeled Gregory Edgeworth. She was told to do so by the police department. When Yanni Yogi was found Not Guilty by reason of insanity, Redd White decided to sell that information to the press, saying it was evidence that she was a fraud!"

Wittenberg exploded, "WHAT?!"

The jury roared, and the judge banged his gavel.

"Order! Order! I want order in the court!" he yelled.

Diego pointed his finger at Digoxin. "Frankly, Mr. Digoxin... that President should've been impeached! He abused his power by making a hate speech against the Fey clan, who were legal citizens of our country!"

The judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Wittenberg, you are dismissed from the stand. Also, it appears to me that the prosecution lacks the evidence it needs in order to allow this trial to continue. As a result, I have reached my verdict."

Digoxin got a look of anger and disgust on his face.

The judge said, "This court find the defendant, Ms. Andrea Helprin... Not Guilty."

Diego, Mia, and Andrea jumped into the air as confetti rained down from the ceiling. "The court is now adjourned!"

The judge banged the gavel twice.


	28. The Rags

May 15, 8:00 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix closed the case record. "I guess that is the end," he said.

Maya wondered, "Nick, when do you think that Detective Gumshoe and the police department will find Pearly? I mean, it's almost been a day. I'm sure the department has at least one lead by now."

The attorney sighed, "Some people go missing for months, or even years. We don't even know if Pearl is still alive."

Maya gasped, "But Nick! She has to be alive! There is no way that she could be dead!"

Phoenix reminded her, "Not all missing people are found in once piece."

She groaned, "Come on, Nick! You've just gotta believe that she is somewhere, and she is somehow living! Just give me a chance!"

Phoenix admitted, "I don't think it is likely that Pearl is not with us. I mean, who would want her dead, anyway?"

May 15, 8:03 A.M. Remnants of the Los Angeles Police Department

Detective Gumshoe sat in an office chair as snow flurries bombarded his trenchcoat. He was still at a loss to where Pearl might be. Although he had a TV bulletin and had signs plastered all over the city, no leads had come in.

He thought, "Every hour, the chance of her being found alive decreases. Somebody's gotta know where she is!"

Suddenly, his cell phone began ringing. He reached for it, and noticed that the number was not in his contacts, although he answered it anyway. He just hoped that it wasn't another call from the Mad Bomber.

"Hello? This is Dick Gumshoe."

"Yes. Do you happen to be affiliated with the LAPD?"

"Well, yes I do, pal."

"All right. I have some evidence that maybe could come in handy."

"Well, first of all, who are you?"

"Do you not recognize my voice, Detective?"

At that moment, Gumshoe froze. He tensed up, hoping that whoever was on the other end was not going to alert him of another bomb threat against some place.

"Well, not really."

"You know, I have a little too much of _something_."

"Yes?"

"And I have a rather gregarious personality, Detective. *giggle* *gasp*"

"Let me guess... does your name happen to start with an 'E'?"

"Yes."

"Are you Ema Skye?"

"How did you guess?"

"You are the only person I know with a name that starts with an 'E'."

"I recently heard that Pearl Fey has gone missing. Maybe, if she had been injured, and she had been cut, blood could have spilled onto the ground."

"Ema, it sounds to me like you are convinced that Pearl has been murdered."

"I doubt she has, Detective. You should find the extra bottles of luminol in the filing cabinet in your office."

"Filing cabinet? I hope that it wasn't destroyed by the bombing of the precinct!"

"Trust me... you'll find it. Anyways, it was nice to speak with you. Goodbye."

Gumshoe turned around, spotting a severely damaged cabinet, but was still intact. He opened the top drawer, and took out the bottle of luminol, which was unscathed by the blast. He then ventured out, thinking of where blood might be.

"If the perp got into a struggle with her, he probably cleaned her up afterwards to avoid detection. It seems like the first place I should search would be a garbage dumpster."

He spotted one nearby, and headed towards it, spraying the luminol around the edges and inside.

A bluish glow immediately surfaced. Gumshoe shook in fear, hoping not to find a dead body inside the dumpster. Luckily, there wasn't.

Instead, there were some rags covered in the blue tinge that the outside was covered in. He looked at the tag, which read: POLARIS BANDAGE CO.

Gumshoe thought, "This is a surgical bandage. I'll have to figure out who purchased these rags, and then the kidnapper will lead me right to him!"


	29. Liberation

May 15, 9:13 A.M. Remnants of the Los Angeles Police Department

Detective Gumshoe was on the website for the Polaris Bandage Co. He looked through the order listings, and found that not very many people purchased bandages. He noticed immediately that a man named Richard Jacobson had purchased 14 surgical bandages the day when Pearl was kidnapped.

He thought, "That's peculiar. I better check this out."

He went to the website for the LAPD, and logged in. He entered the list for all of the citizens in Los Angeles. The records had been collected from an informal census that was conducted in January. He searched "Richard Jacobson" in the search bar.

A monotone sound played and a banner appeared.

It read: No entry found. Please check your keyword(s) and try again.

Gumshoe's suspicions were further heightened by this find. Now, he knew that there was no one in the whole city named "Richard Jacobson".

"If I'm right, then 'Richard Jacobson' is just an alias for the kidnapper! If only I could find an address! Then, I would be able to find him!"

He clicked the back arrow, and returned to the information that was listed. It stated that "Richard" lived on 3412 Chakley Place in Los Angeles.

Gumshoe yelled, "Yes! I've got him! It looks like Poor 'Richard' doesn't stand a chance against the police search squad! Then again, the kidnapped could be the Mad Bomber, de Killer the Second, or a minion of either. They'll have to be very careful."

May 15, 9:23 A.M. Los Angeles, 3412 Chakley Place

A 24 person SWAT team had materialized about 100 feet away from the front door, where they hid behind an armored police vehicle.

Gumshoe whispered, "When you pals approach the door, be careful. There could be somebody like the Mad Bomber or de Killer II who could shoot you from the window!"

One man answered, "Sir, we are wearing Kevlar vests and full body armor. We will not go down without a fight."

After the detective took his safe position behind the armored car, and gave the SWAT team "the signal", which was the motion of a man holding a gun.

The men rushed the door, and knocked lightly. When there was no answer, the men grabbed a metal pipe and rammed it into the door, which fell down with a thud. Seconds later, the SWAT members stormed the building, with their assault rifles armed.

The leader yelled, "POLICE SEARCH SQUAD!"

There was nobody on the upstairs level, so the men rampaged down into the basement level. Upon entering, they found a makeshift operating room with lights, anesthesia equipment, and heart monitors. Inside, Pearl was laying down on a bed, with the "surgeon" and his assistants on the other side of the room.

Pearl lifted her head and gasped in surprise and joy, while the "surgeon" and his cronies fell to the ground and put their hands up. The SWAT team slammed handcuffs and shackles on them, read them their Miranda rights, and took them upstairs. They loaded them both into the armored car, which drove away.

The SWAT team informed Gumshoe of the situation, and he proceed to go inside of the house, which was now empty. He entered the house, and went into the basement.

Pearl screamed, "Detective Dick! How did you know where I was?"

He replied, "It was the evidence that led me here."

She got off of the bed and walked out of the building, and sat on the sidewalk. After loading her into his vehicle, he got in and drove away. Gumshoe then took out his phone.

May 15, 9:30 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix was watching television when the office phone started ringing. He dashed over to it and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Pal, it's Detective Gumshoe."

"What is it, Detective?"

"We have good news and bad news."

"Yes?"

"The good news is that Pearl is now safe. We had a SWAT team raid the building she was being held hostage in."

"Well, what's the bad news?"

"The bad news is that the Mad Bomber is still at large."

"Still? Will the Mad Bomber ever be found?"

"We don't know, pal."

"So, where is Pearl?"

"She is sitting on a bench in the remnants of the LAPD."

"In Los Angeles?"

"Yes, in Los Angeles. Are you stupid? It's called the 'Los Angeles Police Department for a reason, you idiot!"

"Sorry. I had a small mental lapse."

"When will you be there?"

"I'll be there shortly."

"OK, good."

Phoenix ended the call and yelled, "Maya!"

She raced into the lobby. "Yes, Nick?"

"They found Pearly... alive..."

She yelled, "Oh, yeah! It was about time they did! Where is she?"

He answered, "Just follow me. We'll get there before long."

May 15, 9:36 A.M. Remnants of the Los Angeles Police Department

Phoenix and Maya walked into the charred remains of the department, where they found Pearl sitting on a bench.

Pearl yelled, "Mystic Maya!"

She ran over to her and collapsed into her arms, mumbling frantically. Phoenix noticed the stitches on her Pearl's neck first.

"Pearls, what did they do to you?"

She said, "They made me inhale this weird gas that made me sleepy, and I passed out. I woke up later to find these stitches in my neck."

Maya gasped, "That means that... they took something out of you, Pearly!"

Pearl clarified, "I heard them talking about this thing called a 'thy-roid'."

Phoenix yelled, "They took out some of your thyroid! They must want it for something! But what..."

She guessed, "Maybe they want to make a clone of me."

Maya giggled, "Pearls, they don't take use your thyroid to make clones. Human cloning isn't even possible."

She wondered, "Mystic Maya, what do you think happened?"

Maya instructed, "Pearl, I really haven't noticed this until now, but I have realized that you still refer to me as 'Mystic Maya', despite the fact that I am the Master. Therefore, I have thought that it would be a little more accurate if you called me 'Master Maya' from now on."

"So, Myst- er, _Master_ Maya, do you think they took some of my thyroid for?"

She guessed, "Probably to get some hormone to increase the ability to stay awake or something. We probably will never know why they took some of your thyroid."

The three left for the safety of the law office.

However, they will soon realize that even the law office can not protect them from the wrath of the Mad Bomber...


	30. Deadly Force

May 15, 10:00 A.M. Grossberg Law Offices

Marvin Grossberg sat down in a chair slightly behind a desk, sighing somewhat loudly. The crowd around him was enormous, and all sorts of sounds could be heard.

He looked on at the group of 8th grade students, who were positioned properly. A school had asked Grossberg a week before if they could use one of the rooms of his law office for a mock trial. In this case, he would also be the "judge".

He looked at the sheet that the school had supplied him, which showed which students belonged where. As a result, he did not have to take roll. The chart read:

State of California vs. Scott Marks

Indictment: Burglary, armed robbery, aiding and abetting, conspiracy to commit money laundering

Prosecution:

Reagan Stalls  
Whitney Andrews

Defense:  
Gregory Handel  
Kelly Sanders

Witnesses:  
Terence Hitten, owner of Hitten Bank Co.  
Ethan Jalopy, a citizen who found stray bills laying in the street  
Landon Allen, a bank teller who was allegedly robbed at gunpoint  
Florence Manley, the main detective on the case

Karen Dexter, the girlfriend of the defendant  
Peter Victor, who lives in close proximity to the defendant  
Daniel Schmidt, a bank teller who worked 500 feet away from Landon Allen  
Scott Marks, the defendant

Bailiff: Jordan Quick

Grossberg noticed the "bailiff" was heading for the front of the courtroom, so he hurriedly exited out of a door at the back of the room. The "bailiff" yelled, "ALL RISE!"

All members of the court, spare the jury and the witnesses, stood at attention. "The District Court of California is now in session, with the Honorable Judge Marvin Grossberg presiding."

Grossberg neatly entered and sat down. The "bailiff" continued, "You may be seated. Today is Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Today's trial is State of California vs. Scott Marks."

Grossberg banged his gavel. "How is the defendant pleading," he asked.

The kid who played Marks, who had red hair and wore glasses clarified, "Not Guilty, Your Honor."

Grossberg asked, "Would the prosecution please give their opening statement?"

Whitney Andrews, a girl with brown hair and with no hesitation in her voice, spoke up. She proclaimed, "Scott Marks is Guilty of the charged he has been indicted upon because he took place in an armed robbery. The reason he took part in the robbery was because his girlfriend was on the verge of 'breaking up' with him, so he though of a way to get money in order to impress her."

The jury mumbled a little bit, but otherwise remained still. Grossberg added, "And now, would the defense make their opening statement?"

Handel stated, "Your Honor, today, we stand in this courtroom because Scott Marks has been indicted of serious offenses. In reality, Mr. Marks was not involved in the robbery whatsoever, nor was he involved with money laundering, but rather, an entirely different person committed the crimes. The burden of proof lies within the prosecution. If there is any doubt in your mind, you must rule a verdict of Not Guilty."

Grossberg banged his gavel. "The prosecution may call its first witness."

Stalls sighed, "Yes, Your Honor. The prosecution calls Terence Hitten to the stand." After taking the stand, and being sworn in by the bailiff, Andrews asked, "Mr. Hitten, please state your age and occupation."

"Yes. I am 62 years old, and I was born on July 13, 1957. I am the CEO of Hitten Banks Co."

Grossberg ordered, "Mr. Hitten, please testify about the events that have transpired."

"I was sitting in my mansion's lobby when I heard a security officer yelling. I ran over to him, and he informed me that one if my banks had been broken into. I immediately notified police, and they went on a search. Two days later, they arrested Mr. Scott Marks!"

Grossberg said, "Oh. I see. So that is what happened. The defense may Cross-Examine the witness."

Hitten repeated, "I was sitting in my mansion's lobby when I heard a security officer yelling. I ran over to him, and he informed me that one if my banks had been broken into. I immediately notified police, and they went on a search."

Kelly Sanders screamed, "Objection!"

She pointed her finger at Hitten. She asked, "Mr. Hitten, are you sure that the police searched for Mr. Marks?"

"Yes."

She slammed her hands on the counsel bench. "In fact, there is no evidence to sugg..."

Before her sentence was finished, there was a flash. Everyone turned their heads at Grossberg, which was where the flash emanated from. The flash was slight, but it was soon followed by a much bigger flash, which caused the kids to turn away from Grossberg.

This was followed by vibrations, which got more intense every second. The counsel benches quivered and fell over, while the chairs crumbled to the floor. All of the events felt like they were taking place in slow motion. It felt like an eternity before the next event occurred.

A sound, which resembled a hotel collapsing or a red supergiant bursting into supernova, hit the kids ears, causing them to groan and cover their ears. At that point, the events "sped up", and they looked at Grossberg, who was just as dumbfounded and shocked as they were.

The kids were propelled across the room, and various objects were also lofted, which crumbled and turned into shrapnel, which sliced into the faces of the kids, tearing open the flesh and causing blood to drip from the gashes that it formed. Then, as soon as it started, it stopped.

The room fell into eerie silence. For one minute, then two, and even three, there was not a word said. But then, the bailiff managed to rouse herself from her unconsciousness and marched to the front of the room. On her way, she found that no one had been killed.

She then felt a sensation of complete disbelief take over when she saw Grossberg. He was knocked unconscious when his head struck the table. His entire body from the waist down had been horribly burned. His trousers had melted and stuck to his skin. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, and dialed 9-1-1.


	31. Keep On Bombin'

May 15, 11:34 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

The TV news broadcast appeared on the television, and Phoenix looked at the screen carefully. After the intro was complete, the broadcaster started speaking. "Hello. I'm Harry Ratchet. Currently, there has been a serious event that has taken place at Grossberg Law Offices in downtown Los Angeles."

Phoenix's hand came up and he slapped his face. He groaned, "Let me guess... the Mad Bomber blew it up?"

The broadcaster resumed, "The Mad Bomber has struck again, injuring 20 8th graders and severely injuring Marvin Grossberg.

The bomb in question was constructed inside a pen. It was a very small atomic bomb, with a spring loaded mechanism that fired a small bullet-like piece of uranium into a larger piece at the front of the pen. When the "bullet" hit the other piece of uranium, it started a nuclear fission reaction.

In other words, the impact has caused the atoms of uranium to split apart and bump into each other, causing heat and pressure to build inside the bomb until it exploded. Due to the small size of the bomb, however, the explosion was very small, and equaled about 5 tons of TNT."

Phoenix shut off the TV and sighed heavily. He thought, "What next? Is the Mad Bomber going to bomb the law office? I bet he will. It's only a matter of time until he tries to kill me."

His head turned to the right, and he looked into the lobby, where Maya and Pearl were looking out the window.

He wondered, "I wonder what they would be looking out the window for, anyway."

Eavesdropping on their conversation, he just barely heard what the two spirit mediums were discussing.

"Pearls, do you think that Nick wants to marry me?"

"Well, of course he does! You're his special someone! Why wouldn't you marry him?"

"Um, what if he doesn't want to get married yet?"

"He does, Master Maya! I can tell!"

"Pearly, remember what happened to your mother?"

"She got put in jail?"

"*sigh* Not quite. She married some guy, had two kids, divorced him, married another guy, had you, and divorced him!"

"Master Maya! You... you're not going to divorce Mr. Nick once you've married him, right?"

"Well, I'm not sure Nick would want to put up with me because of the matriarchal way the clan works."

"What do you mean by 'ma-try-ik-ul'?"

"I mean, women run the clan. Only women can channel spirits. Only women are born of Fey women! Nick may not like having no power, and he may want to go and live with and have kids with another girl."

"Master Maya! You don't mean..."

"Yes. He may not be my special someone, Pearls."

"But he has to be! He loves you to the end of the earth! He saved you from that de Killer guy! He was so upset when he thought you were dead!"

"He didn't save me, Pearl. The police did."

"So? He _loves_ you!"

"But he doesn't look like he has the nerve to prepose to me."

"Master Maya, the guy doesn't always ask the girl to marry him."

"You want _me_ to get an engagement ring and prepose to Nick?!"

"Of course!"

"We'll see."

"Why don't we go outside and figure out how to work Mr. Nick's car?"  
"Pearl, I don't have a license!"

"So! You can just turn it on!"

"Fine."

The keys had been carelessly left on the counter, so Maya picked them up and walked with Pearl out the door. The two left for his vehicle, and looked at it. Its paint had the same shade of blue that Phoenix's suits had, with a chrome engine grille. Maya opened the door.

Phoenix started breathing heavily. "Wow... that conversation was rather awkward for Maya, I think."

His ears now heard nothing but silence. As he turned his head left, he heard a slight beeping noise. His eyes shot open, and his head ripped towards the sound. The beeping was coming from outside, it's tone muffled by the door and walls.

He jumped up from the couch and screamed, "MAYA! PEARL! GET INSIDE! YOU'LL BE KILLED!"

A sensation of panic ran through his body. In a split second, he was out the door and near his car. Maya asked, "Nick, why are you so frantic?"

He screamed, "There's no time! Get inside!"

Maya and Pearl would tell that it was serious, so they both ran inside, as did the attorney. Once in the bedroom, Phoenix screamed, "Get under the bed! I think there's a bomb near my car!" Pearl easily slid under, while Phoenix and Maya required more time.

The instant they got under the bed, a tremendous rumbling sensation emanated from the floorboards, some of which snapped. Maya's fingernails dug into Phoenix's suit, and the attorney wrapped his arms around her in response. Shortly thereafter, a vociferous noise filled the air.

Roughly 15 seconds later, the vibrations slowed, and then stopped. The three got out from under the bed and walked towards the office door. Phoenix's car had been completely destroyed. Jagged metal part were lying all over the parking lot, and molten metal oozed from the pavement.

Tears came to Maya's eyes. "Nick... thanks for saving me..."

The attorney gasped, "Well, I may be an ace attorney, but this is ridiculous! The Mad Bomber is out of his mind!"

Pearl asked, "Mr. Nick, will they ever find him?"

He answered, "I sure hope so..."


	32. The Man From Space

May 15, 12:00 P.M. Remnants of the Los Angeles Police Department

Phoenix approached Detective Gumshoe with a tape in his hand.

"Detective, remember that security camera that Edgeworth put at Wright and Co. Law Offices?"

Gumshoe scratched his head. "Not quite, but why are you bringing the tape to me?"

Maya added, "Because Nick's car just blew up."

Gumshoe screamed, "What do you mean by 'blew up', pal?"

Pearl yelled, "Mr. Nick heard a slight beeping noise, and he got us out of the car before it exploded!"

Gumshoe looked at the spiky-haired lawyer and laughed, "Maybe your title should be 'Phoenix Wright: Ace Bomb Detector'!"

Maya gasped, "Detective! That's an insensitive joke!"

Sheepishly, Gumshoe walked away and sat down at his computer, sighing almost inaudibly. At the same time, Miles Edgeworth walked in, and no one noticed, for they were too busy paying attention to the construction workers outside, who were building the police department back up.

He grunted loudly, and Maya turned her head. "Mr. Edgeworth! What are you doing here?" Edgeworth said, "I came here for two reasons. The first is to tell you a story about America. The second is to advise you that you are in grave danger." Phoenix asked, "So, like, good news and bad news?"

"Yes."

Pearl insisted, "Tell us the story!"

Edgeworth continued, "Around the late-1400's, there was this Italian man named Amerigo Vespucci. After sailing on two voyages, one to Brazil, and the other to the West Indies, he believed that both areas were not part of Asia. Instead, he thought that they were a different continent all together."

Phoenix asked, "So you're saying that the continents of North America and South America are named for Vespucci?" Edgeworth agreed, "Indeed." Maya interrupted, "It would've been really weird if they named the Americas 'Vespucci'. Imagine saying, 'I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of Vespucci.'"

Edgeworth pulled an device from his pocket. "This is a geiger counter. It detects radioactivity and turns it into sounds we can hear."

He turned the machine on and waved the wand slowly over Phoenix and Maya. When the wand passed over Maya's kimono, loud, frantic clicking noises could be heard.

Phoenix yelled, "This isn't good!" Edgeworth repositioned the wand so that it was over Pearl's kimono, and clicking sounds could be heard as well, but they were less frequent and quieter. Edgeworth gasped, "Just what I thought! That bomb was a _dirty bomb_!"

Maya asked, "So what does that mean, Mr. Edgeworth?"

The magenta-clad prosecutor answered, "That bomb was intentionally laced with radioactive particles. It was not a true atomic bomb, as it did not generate a nuclear explosion. If we don't get you and Pearl decontaminated immediately, you could face serious or fatal side effects."

"Such as?"

Edgeworth continued, "Your hair will fall out, your fingernails and toenails will fall off, you may get cancer, and you will suffer horribly." Maya gasped, "Pearly and I are getting decontaminated, Mr. Edgeworth!" Gumshoe pointed down a hallway, and both Fey women walked down the hallway, loosening their kimonos as they went.

Phoenix stayed near Gumshoe, waiting for them to come out. After 30 minutes of waiting, a man entered the police department. He was wearing sunglasses, and dark brown hair that was greying, and had the familiar black suit that business people wear.

Phoenix was the only other person in the whole department wearing a suit. The man approached him. He asked, "Can I speak with you for a moment?" He got up from the rickety chair he was sitting on and approached the man. The man asked, "Are you Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney?"

The lawyer replied, "Yes. What do you need me for?" The man said, "Great. I need some help to find my youngest daughter." Phoenix asked, "Why are you coming to me? I thought it would be better for all kidnapping cases to go to..." The man blurted out, "Detective Gumtree?"

Gumshoe yelled, "The name's Gumshoe, pal. Gum doesn't grow on trees!" The man resumed, "I am coming to you because you have seen my youngest daughter somewhere. Somewhere, in your career as a defense attorney, you have seen her. I beg you, go find her!"

Phoenix walked away from the man, confused as if to whom he was referring to. Sitting back down in the chair, he thought, "_Youngest daughter_... what does he even mean? Is he sane?"


	33. No More Secrecy

May 15, 12:34 P.M. Remnants of the Los Angeles Police Department

Maya and Pearl exited decontamination, somewhat shaken. Phoenix immediately spotted them, and walked over. He asked, "How did it go?"

Maya sighed, "They made us take showers, but the shower heads sprayed out dry ingredients instead of water. It doesn't feel refreshing at all. It was almost painful."

Phoenix thought, "That's a rather unconventional method of cleaning..."

Gumshoe interrupted, "Hey, pal! Take a look at this!"

A sheet, white in color, was in his right hand, which waved in the air. The attorney grasped the sheet, and looked at it. Gumshoe explained, "They went over to your law office in HAZMAT suits and examined the debris that was lying on the ground."

Phoenix sighed, "And what did they find?"

Gumshoe replied, "An unusually high level of trinitrolutein."

He groaned, "In other words?!"

"A chemical that speeds up the explosion, and makes it more powerful. Another officer told me about it when that 'surgeon' confessed about removing 1/16 of Pearl's thyroid."

Phoenix thought, "Great! We're all screwed! Now that the Mad Bomber is making those bombs, how long will it be before Los Angeles is completely destroyed?!" The man he had seen earlier approached him with a photograph. He handed it to Phoenix upside-down, so that the image was on the other side.

"Sep. 1, 2000" was written on it in permanent marker.

He held his breath and thought, "Before I turn this picture over, there are probably three things that this picture is of. For one, it could indicate that this man is the father of Dahlia, Iris, and Valerie Hawthorne, but I remember reading the newspaper one day and seeing that Nathaniel Hawthorne had killed himself by jumping off of the Golden Gate Bridge.

It could also indicate that this man is Pearl's father, which is quite possible. It could also indicate that this man is Maya's father, but did he die before she was born? But if he is indeed her father, and if the DNA tests prove it, then I'd say that she was lied to about her father in the first place."

Phoenix's hands were trembling violently as he flipped the picture over. He focused on one particular person in the image. Although slightly grainy, the image was preserved. In the image, it showed a young girl, around a few years old, who had black hair, was wearing a kimono, and had purple sandals on was smiling and laughing as she tried to walk.

A shock was sent deep into his core. His eyes opened wide and he shook with fear. Phoenix thought, "That guy has to be Maya's father! There is no one else on Earth who wears a kimono, purple sandals, and has black hair like that!" He walked over sluggishly to Maya.

She asked, "Nick? Why are you so shaken?" Phoenix said slowly, "There's a guy who wants to speak with you..." Maya and Pearl walked over to where the man was. His arms was outstretched, and in his hand was a DNA test. Phoenix handed it to Detective Gumshoe, who took it and placed it into a machine.

After reading the paper, Gumshoe explained, "This machine keeps a record of all of the DNA samples that come in to us." Phoenix asked, "Could you compare that DNA to that of Maya's? That guy could be her father." Gumshoe soon found to screen and compared the DNA.

Gumshoe sighed, "Yep. Maya's got a similar DNA structure as that man. He is her father, pal."

Maya asked the man, "Who are you, sir? What brings you here?"

The man said, "To put it bluntly, I have come here to make an... apology."

Pearl asked, "An uh-pol-uh-gee? What for, Mister?"

The man continued, "I am very sorry for not being part of your life."

Maya's eyes shot open. "What do you mean by that?"

The man took a deep breath and resumed. "Maya... I am your father."

She gasped, "W-WHAT?! But my father died before I was even born!"

"That was what your sister told you, Maya. In fact, I did not leave the household until early 2002. In April 2002, due to your mother being called a 'fraud' by both the national government and the local population, I moved away in order to prevent embarrassing myself. After all, who would want to be around the spouse of a supposed fraud?"

Maya interrupted, "And you told both my mother and sister to lie to me in order to prevent me from thinking I had a father?"

"Yes. I thought that if they told you that I had moved away, you would become upset and would run away to find me." Maya's face swelled up and her eyes filled with tears.

"Dad... please don't get murdered! I've lost too many people to greedy businessmen and corrupt politicians! Don't be the next one!"

Phoenix wrapped his arms around Maya. She asked, "What, Nick?" Tears were still dripping from her eyes.

Phoenix whispered, "Maya, don't worry. Your father isn't going to get murdered. Your mother and sister were murdered by chance. I doubt anyone else in your family is going to get murdered."

She sniffed and as her slightly reddened eyes opened, the attorney reminded her, "Maya, _I love you_. Your father _loves you_. You're going to be all right."

Maya brought her lips close to Phoenix's. "Nick, I... I love you, too."

They embraced and locked their lips together in a kiss, not caring that her father, Detective Gumshoe, and Pearl were all staring at them as they did so.


	34. A Daily Dose of Hate

May 15, 2:12 P.M. Los Angeles Downtown

Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl walked through the streets, heading back to the law office. If the ace attorney's car hadn't been destroyed by the Mad Bomber an hour earlier, the three would have been zooming through the streets at 45 miles an hour. Because they were on foot, they were traveling roughly 11 times slower than that.

Up until a year ago, he walked with Maya everywhere they had to go. Life seemed to go much slower without a motorized vehicle.

Without warning, Maya stubbed her toe on the sidewalk.

She yelled, "Ouch! Nick, why can't you just call a taxi?"

Pearl asked, "What's a tax-ee?"

Phoenix sighed, "A service where you can make people drive you somewhere for a fee. The reason I'm not calling one is for two reasons; the first being that I don't have a phone book on me. The second is that more taxi drivers are killed every year than people working any other job."

Both Fey women groaned loudly, and kept on walking, although at a slightly slower pace than before. After trotting a few more yards down the street, Phoenix spotted a crumpled up newspaper laying on the ground in a heap.

He looked down at it, and picked it up, curious as to the contents. He flattened it out so that it was readable, and read the top header.

_A Daily Dose of Truth:_ May 15, MMXIX

Phoenix wondered, "Why would someone title a newspaper with such a name? It makes little sense. Most newspapers in the U.S. are entitled with a name like _The New York Times_, _The Des Moines Register_ or even _The Arizona Republic_! What's with the name, anyway?" His question was seemingly answered when he read the headlines.

It read: FAILED SPIRIT CHANNELING KILLS 5 PEOPLE. As he flipped through the pages, more and more hate speech against spirit mediums could be seen. The second page had an advertisement that read: Angelenos! Protect yourselves! Do not accept any services from spirit mediums!

Yet another story had an image of a cigarette box that had the usual warning label, but instead of stating a warning about the dangers of smoking, it had a quite different warning: SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Necromancy Now Greatly Reduces Risks to Your Health.

Phoenix groaned as he continued to read hideous page after hideous, unsightly page of the abysmal piece of text sitting in his hands. The amount of hate contained was so severe that it reminded the lawyer of Hitler's anti-Semitic propaganda produced before and during World War II.

He crumpled the paper back up and shoved it into his right pocket. "We need to find whoever's selling this," he said. "We'll report this guy to the FCC. He's distributing hate among the population. This guy is manipulating people's opinions even after your Yanni Yogi was found guilty... 15 years after the fact."

Maya sighed, "Nick. The man that's writing this could be one of three people. It could be the Mad Bomber, de Killer II, or even a minion of de Killer II. If we don't act quickly, he could start writing hate about Wright and Co."

Phoenix added, "Actually, he already is writing hate about Wright and Co. Maya, you are, without a reasonable doubt, the most famous spirit medium in the world. If he is defaming you, he is also defaming me."

The three quickly headed back to the police department, fearing the wrath of the Mad Bomber.


	35. Attention

May 15, 3:00 P.M. Remnants of the Los Angeles Police Department

As soon as Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl re-entered the department, Gumshoe asked, "What are you pals doing here?!"

Phoenix held the inflammatory newspaper in the air and waved it around a little bit. "This newspaper," he said, "defamed spirit mediums. I found it lying in the street."

Gumshoe looked at the paper carefully, and inspected every square inch of it, including the font type. He asked, "Could someone turn off the lights, please?"

The lights dimmed and shut off. The detective held a black light in his left hand and he scanned the front page.

On the bottom right corner, he saw a greenish fingerprint; specifically, a thumbprint. He sneered, "Looks like someone didn't wash their hands before they put their claws on this."

Pearl asked, "Your point being, Detective Dick?"

"If someone put their hands on it, we could potentially find out who reads these newspapers."

Phoenix sighed, "Even if we do find out who reads these newspapers, we still don't know who even..."

Gumshoe interrupted, "What if the person who wrote it threw it on the ground before you picked it up, and no one else touched it besides him?"

Maya gasped, "We'll figure out who made the paper!"

Walking over to a scanning machine, Gumshoe laid the newspaper flat against the laser diode, which made a facsimile of the original fingerprint. The image was then scanned into a computer. The image popped up on the monitor, and Gumshoe placed a chair in front of the computer.

He typed in a few keywords and hit "Enter". The screen read: SCANNING PRINTS. PLEASE WAIT...

There was a moment of silence as the computer did its job. Suddenly, a computerized voice announced, "One match found." Gumshoe clicked the image, and up popped a face.

The computer read, "The scanned print was the closest to the fingerprint registered to Iate Digoxin, a prosecutor in Los Angeles County. He was born on July 3, 1949. He passed the bar exam in 1970, and registered with the U.S. Attorney's Office. He went undefeated in court until 2011, where he was defeated by the defense attorney Diego Armando. He retired from law shortly thereafter. His current whereabouts are a mystery."

Maya's eyes shot open wide. "Digoxin... he must have wrote it! But why?"

Gumshoe said, "I may have an explanation for that, Maya. When Digoxin lost to Godot..."

Phoenix grunted and got a dissatisfied look on his face.

"Er, Mr. Armando, he became disgruntled and wanted to eliminate lawyers."

Phoenix guessed, "So you're saying that Digoxin is the Mad Bomber?"

Gumshoe replied, "Not necessarily. We don't have any evidence to prove that he is the Mad Bomber. Saying that he is responsible for those bombings is all speculation. We don't have evidence to prove that he is at fault. It just appears that he may be the Mad Bomber."

Phoenix suggested, "And he also blew up bombs at Hazakura Temple and did that Kurain Massacre because he hated Mia because she helped Diego?"

Maya thought, "That very well may be the case, Nick." Gumshoe let the paper fall from his hands and rest upon the floor.

He walked to the other half of the room and opened a window. Outside, he saw a group of around 30 kids standing on the far end of a football field. They all stood in a clump and looked at a group of 6 other, older kids. Gumshoe's ears picked up the sounds from outside.

He heard four claps and someone say, "Band ten hut!"

Gumshoe slid his right foot to his left foot, raised his arms and yelled, "Attack!"

Phoenix cocked his head at the detective and curiously said, "What the hell?!"

Gumshoe sweated a little and answered, "Sorry. My nephew is in a marching band. He's in 9th grade. I remember when I was in marching band..."

Pearl asked, "Really? What's his name?"

Gumshoe said, "Derek Gumshoe. He's my brother's oldest. Man... my brother is almost 16 years older than me. My parents were 23 when he was born. Derek plays the trumpet. When I was in band, I played the trombone."

Phoenix remarked, "I played the trombone when I was in band, too!"

Maya added, "Hey, Nick! Maybe we should start a marching band after this whole 'Mad Bomber' situation is cleared up! Or better yet, let's get Larry and Edgeworth to join it!"

Phoenix sighed, "I don't know, Maya. I mean, what would we do?"

"We could march in parades and perform at football games..."

Phoenix wondered, "Maya, we could join a marching band already in existence."

She yelled, "Great idea, Nick!"


	36. Pursuit--Cornered (Quite Literally)

May 15, 11:00 P.M. Remnants of the Los Angeles Police Department

Officer Meekins sat at his desk, somewhat lazily. He mumbled to himself, "The department is really slow because we don't have any sort of computers. I mean, we have phone lines, but we don't know if these computers could support dial-up. After all, the load on the lines would be huge."

Suddenly, he heard the Chief of Police's footsteps. Meekins quickly got up into his chair and smiled wide. "Yes, sir?"

The Chief slammed a 1,000 page booklet down on his desk. "Officer, that 'doctor' had to be put under because he wouldn't shut up."

Meekins asked, "What do you mean?"

"After we got everything we needed out of him, he wouldn't be quiet, so we gave him a nice dose of nitrous. I suggest you read that report. It may help you figure out who the Mad Bomber is."

The Chief walked away, almost scowling.

The officer groaned, "How am I supposed to read all of this shit?!"

A young woman, about age 21, popped out from behind his computer monitor. She wore glasses with pink lenses and wore a bizarre-looking jacket. Meekins realized instantly that it was Ema Skye. She asked, "What's the problem?"

Meekins sighed, "Now seriously..." He raised the transcript high into the air with one hand. The pages dangled in Ema's face, while his other hand supported his megaphone. He turned it to maximum volume and scrunched his face up.

"LOOK AT THIS FUCKING SHIT! How am I supposed to READ all of this motherfucking SHIT?"

Ema yelled, "Quit using that kind of language, or I'll have your ass above my kitchen sink!"

The scientist-detective felt nervous and jittery, not being used to screaming profanity into people's faces before.

Meekins quickly found out that he was not the alpha-male and lowered his megaphone. A smile appeared on his face. "I'd be happy to read that report now, ma'am!"

He dove into the report, while Ema overheard his monologuing and translated it into intelligible words that could be understood by a logical person. It was now 2:34 A.M, according to the wall clock. Though dreary and woozy, she stumbled over to Detective Gumshoe.

He asked, "Ema, what do you have to say?"

She whispered, "Detective, I saw Officer Meekins reading the transcript of the police's interrogation of that 'surgeon' guy."

Gumshoe implored, "Yes? What about it?"

"Well, the surgeon told them quite shocking news. It turns out that that surgeon is working for the Mad Bomber. The Mad Bomber plans to use the trinitrolutein gathered from Pearl Fey's thyroid to make bombs in excess of 10 megatons!"

"MEGATON?!"

Gumshoe exploded. "Yes... and then he'll go out and kill Phoenix, Maya, Pearl, you, Edgeworth, Franziska von Karma, and everyone else in Los Angeles! He'll destroy the world if we're not careful!"

Gumshoe wondered, "But who is the Mad Bomber?"

Ema gasped, "According to him, there actually... isn't a Mad Bomber."

The detective shouted, "How?!"

She explained, "The 'Mad Bomber' was really just an alias that these minions of Shelly de Killer II used to disguise themselves under. I believe that the minion that planted the most bombs was Iate Digoxin."

"All we need to do is hope that his U.S. Attorney's office registration data is up to date and look him up to find his location. I have connected my computer to a phone jack, so let's just hope my computer still supports dial-up."

He entered a URL into the web browser and hit "Enter".

A few dial tones played, and was followed by a process of strange, static like noises for 30 seconds. When the page finally loaded, it showed Digoxin's information. It showed that Digoxin had been living in Los Angeles since 1987.

Gumshoe laughed, "This guy won't expect the police arriving at his door!"

Ema added, "Send the officers to rally him up at about 5 A.M. He'll be in prison in not time."


	37. The Runaway Turnabout (Part 1)

May 16, 8:35 A.M. Digoxin's Residence

Several police officers pulled up around Digoxin's apartment in their cruisers, and turned off the engines. They all took out their binoculars and started scanning the area.

One officer whispered to his walkie talkie, "Base, Digoxin isn't out yet."

The Chief of Police was on the other end.

"Lanthouser, I want you to keep still and wait for him to come out to get the Saturday paper. We're not hosting a stakeout. Once he exits his door and picks up the paper, turn on your lights and sirens, get out, and arrest that monkey!"

Lanthouser replied, "I don't think there's such a thing as a Saturday paper... but I may just find out!"

The Chief barked, "Get to it! We can't let Digoxin get away!"

He turned off the walkie talkie, being careful not to make any noise when doing so. He grabbed his binoculars, and scanned the porch, as well as the grassy area around the façade of the house. Still, no Digoxin.

Lanthouser became somewhat impatient at this point, as he wanted Digoxin to come out for an easy arrest. It felt like it would take forever for them to catch him. The hours ticked away. The clock inside the police car now read: 10:23 A.M.

Lanthouser picked up the walkie talkie and spoke to the officers around him.

"If Digoxin comes out, exit your vehicles and arrest him as quickly and efficiently as possible. We don't want to spend too much time during the arrest, or some of de Killer II's cronies could show up and botch the arrest."

He then hung up and opened the magazine of his pistol.

Lanthouser pulled out the first bullet, and began twisting the cartridge and bullet in separate directions until they separated. He thought, "When Digoxin comes out, I'll fire a blank through the sunroof of my cruiser. That'll startle him quite a bit, and will allow us to arrest him quicker."

He rolled the sunroof all the way open, and unbuckled his seatbelt. The clock now read: 10:27 A.M. Lanthouser heard a door open, and saw an elderly man walk out of his apartment on the ground floor. He was not very frail, and briskly walked to the newspaper machine to get a copy of The Los Angeles Times.

Lanthouser unlocked the door of his cruiser and slowly rose up so that he was standing on the driver's seat. He rose his pistol, and readied his finger. Aiming the reticle straight at the man's head, he pressed the trigger, his hands shaking violently.

BANG! A loud explosion was heard. The man became dazed and confused. He fell to his knees in fear and shock. Another officer ran out of his cruiser and screamed, "POLICE! GET ON THE GROUND, AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" The elderly man brought his hands into the air.

The man asked, "What's all this nonsense about? Why are you arresting me?"

The officer replied, "Digoxin, it's over."

The elderly man gasped, "I am him! Mr. Iate Terginious Digoxin! But what's over?"

"We've had enough of your cultural and occupational genocide."

"GENOCIDE? What did I do?"

The officer replied, "We know that you are him. The Mad Bomber. Or at least, the most prominent version of the Mad Bomber."

Digoxin yelled, "I'm innocent! I'm calling my lawyer!"

The officer growled, "You have the right to remain silent. You're lucky we didn't kill you right here on the sidewalk."

The officer forced Digoxin to walk over to an armored car. He placed shackles on him, and placed himself with Digoxin in the back. After he was loaded, the car drove off to the Detention Center.

Lanthouser closed his sunroof and locked the door to his car, sighing. "Iate Terginious Digoxin... what a bizarre name. Sounds like something from the 11th century A.D. What a horrible man. He goes around, planting huge bombs around L.A, killing thousands. What a dirty little son of a bitch."

He turned the cruiser's engine on, and left the scene.

May 16, 11:00 A.M. Downtown Los Angeles, Amtrak Station

Just as Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl began walking back to the law office, they noticed some festivities occurring near Amtrak Station.

Maya asked, "Nick, what do you think they are doing over there?"

He answered, "I honestly don't know." In curiosity, they all walked over to where most of the people were.

There was a large, silver train sitting on a new section of track. The train was not of the familiar shape, but had a shape, almost like that of a Shinkansen.

A banner in front of the train declared, "Amtrak Bullet Train Mk. 2 will run on a new section of high-speed railway from Tijuana, Baja California, to Seattle, Washington. Feel free to see the luxurious decor inside the passenger cabin!"

Pearl yelled, "Mr. Nick! Let's go inside!"

Phoenix sighed, "I don't know Pearls..."

Maya egged Phoenix on, encouraging him to let them inside. He finally agreed, but still had the thought of the Mad Bomber in his head as he entered the door and walked inside.

Maya's jaw dropped upon seeing the inside of the train. The seats were furnished with the finest leather, with wooden tray tables that extended from the arms of the seats. Several fat-screen LED TV's were against the wall, adding to the comfort of the main car. A news broadcast came on.

"Recently, we have received news about the Mad Bomber."

All of the people inside the car froze up,and payed great attention to the broadcast. "The Mad Bomber was identified as Iate Digoxin, a former government prosecutor. He was arrested earlier this morning, and is now being questioned by both the FBI and police."

Maya's face went from a look surprise to a look of great joy. All of the people began cheering vociferously, and happiness filled the passenger cabin.  
All of a sudden, the doors shut. The sound of the doors being shut was a mixture between an airlock closing and a door slamming.

A loud burst of air signaled that the brakes had been released. The train then began accelerating. Slowly at first, but the train eventually began to speed up rapidly.

Maya asked, "Nick, was this what they intended to do?"

He replied, "Probably not!"

By now, the train was at around 100 miles per hour.

Pearl asked, "Master Maya, why is this happening?"

She yelled, "Pearly, I have no idea!"

At that precise moment, the TV's displayed a horrifying message. Red text appeared on a black screen. It was in all capital letters; the font looked as if the message was written in blood.

It declared, "I HAVE GRANTED THESE KIDS TO HELL."

Phoenix's eyes seemed to swell from within his head upon seeing the message. "Maya! That same exact message was written on the side of a wall at Hazakura Temple after it was bombed! That means only one thing... de Killer II is behind this!"

The attorney screamed, "Everybody! Listen up! Unfortunately, due to events beyond out control, we seem to be heading away from Los Angeles and to some place else at around 200 miles an hour. We believe that the son of Shelly de Killer is behind this."

All of the people inside the cabin roared loudly. Some women let out sharp cries of distress and anguish.

Phoenix continued, "I understand that many of you are frightened, but we can overcome that terrorist! We can get out of here alive! It's just... that... we can't exactly do anything about it right now. But I know someone who can!"

The ace attorney pulled out his cell phone, and dialed a long number. As the crowd looked on, Phoenix pulled the phone to his mouth and pressed the dial button. A series of tones played, and the dial tone played. His hands nervously shook as he waited for someone to pick up.

Who is Phoenix calling? Furthermore, how is he going to be able to stop the train? Will the city of Los Angeles ever be the same? Find out in the next chapter of _Turnabout Shinkansen_! Until then, this is Nr36, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!


End file.
